the 

university  of 

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BOOK    26  1.W17  1    c.  1 

WALTERS    #    FIRST    BOOK    OF    SOCIAL 

AND    RELIGIOUS    SURVEY    OF    SPRINGFIE 


3    T153    DODbTn?    b 


;S!D*^vdJ0RARY7  STORRS,  Cl 


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BDKIER  BADBIDQE  UDRARY,  STORRS,  CT 


P  6 


A    FIRST    BOOK 

of  the  yj  O^ 

SOCIAL  and  RELIGIOUS   SURVEY    KX3 

of 
SPRINGFIELD,  MASSACHUSETTS 


Compiled  frotJi 

Preliminary  Reports  and  Graphs 
Presented  at  the  Findings  Conference,  Octo- 
ber 17th  and  18th,  and  the  Pl-ogramizing 
Conference,  December  12th  and  13th,  1922 

by 

Jaxe  Olcott  Walters 
Executive  Supervisor 


PRICE  25  CENTS 


Copyright  1923 
hy 

Committee  ox  Social  and  Religious  Slr\evs 
370  Seventh  Ave.,  New  York  Citv 


Christ  Church 
Episcopal 


^^^^'^      C^^ 


Church  of  the  Unity 


\J 


AUSPICES    AND    METHODS 

The  Springfield  Survey  was  initiated  in  the  early  spring  of  1922,  at  which  time 

a  local  committee  of  ministers,   social   workers   and  other  community   leaders   was 

Yt)rganized   as  an   advisory   board.     From   this   group,   an   Executive    Committee   of 

\eight  was  chosen  to  assist  in  the  direction  of  the   Survey.     Five  members  of  the 

t-rKxecutive   Committee   were  made  chairmen   of   five   sub-committees   to   advise   and 

cooperate  in  securing  material  for  the  five  major  divisions  of  the  survey,  namely: 

Religious  Organization — a  study  of  churches  and  other  religious  groups. 
V  Religious  Education — a  study  of  the   Sunday-schools,  their  methods,  their 

stafifs,  etc. 

Recreational  Facilities — a  study  of  church,  civic  and  commercial  recrea- 
tions. 

Interrelationship  of  Church  and  Social  Work — a  study  of  the  social  back- 
ground and  certain  social  conditions  in  Springfield. 

The  Household  Canvass — a  religious  census  of  the  city. 

Cooperation  was  secured  from  every  Protestant  church  in  the  city,  from  the 
Jewish  synagogues  and  such  religious  groups  as  the  Y.  AI.  C.  A.  and  the  Y.  W.  C.  A. 

Survey  Methods 

One  of  the  first  steps  taken  was  the  dividing  of  the  city  into  survey  districts, 
an  effort  being  made  to  have  the  districts  homogeneous  as  to  general  social  and 
economic  conditions.  The  results  of  the  survey  indicate  that  these  eleven  survey 
districts,  A  to  K,  were  wisely  chosen.     (See  District  Map,  p.  29.) 

A  house-to-house  canvass  was  made  on  the  twenty-first  of  May,  1922,  to  deter- 
mine the  religious  faith  of  the  people  of  the  city,  their  religious  afllliations,  their 
nationality,   etc.     At   that   time   over    16,000   men   and   women   were    interviewed — 
approximately  20  per  cent,  of  the  adult  population  of  the  city.    The  figures  secured 
^for  those  under  twenty-one  years  of  age  were  not  adequate  for  the  purposes  of  the 
VJsurvey.     For  the  adults  the  figures  were  complete  enough  to  form  a  good  statistical 
\j sample.     These  household  canvass   figures  were  tabulated  by   survey  districts  and 
vhave  formed  the  basis  of  many  of  the  statistical  studies  of  the  survey. 
^  In  conjunction  with  the  household  canvass  figures,  a  study  was  made  of  the 

^1920  'Jnited  States  census;  the  Census  of  Religious  Bodies,  1916;  and  the  population 
-.^nsus  of  1920.  I'here  was  also  a  careful  analysis  of  the  figures  of  the  school  census 
^for  1921. 

^  Schedules  were  prepared   for   a   study   of  church   organizations,   finances,   etc., 

■^^nd  religious  education.  These  included  four  schedules  drawn  up  by  the  Religious 
Organization  Committee  with  the  assistance,  on  schedule  2.  of  the  Interrelationships 
Committee;  three  schedules  drawn  up  by  the  Religious  Education  Committee,  and  a 
questionnaiie  to  religious  leaders  as  to  the  aims  of  religious  education:  and  one 
questionnaire  as  to  the  recreational  facilities  of  the  churches. 

For  approximately  twelve   weeks,  two   field   investigators   spent   all   their   time 
interviewing  church  officials,  pastors,   Sunday-school  ofiicials.  and  others,  securing 
1  ^he  information  for  these  schedules.     Supplementary  work  was  done  by  other  mem- 
bers of  the  staff  until  fairly  complete  returns  were  made  by  forty-two  of  the  forty- 
r^our  regularly  organized  churches.     The  Free  Methodist  group  and  the  Salvation 
"Army  were  not  included  in  this  study:  the  Free  Methodists  because  it  was  difticult 
r^to  secure  adequate  information  concerning  them,  owing  to  the  absence  of  the  pastor, 
^land  the    Salvation    Army   because    its    activities    seemed    to    require    special    study. 
Supplementary  studies  of  the  miscellaneous  religious  groups  and  religious  faiths  of 
^~^he  city  were  made  by  a  research  worker.     Brief  studies  were  also  made  of  the 
nationality  groups ;  and  historical  material  was  secured  from  the  library. 

The  information  secured  on  these  schedules  and  questionnaires  constitutes  the 
bulk   of   the   survev   material.      It   must   be   borne  in   mind   that   this   material    was 


secured  in  every  case  from  men  and  women  connected  in  an  official  capacity  with  a 
church  or  Sunday  school. 

In  addition  to  this  study  of  present-day  conditions,  a  complete  analysis  was 
made  of  the  yearbooks  of  the  four  largest  denominations  of  the  city — Congrega- 
tional. Baptist,  Methodist  Episcopal  and  Protestant  Episcopal — from  the  year  1899 
to  1921.  To  smooth  out  any  unusual  situation  in  an  individual  year,  these  figures 
were  studied  by  three-year  periods  from  1899-1901  to  1917-1919;  and  for  the  indi- 
vidual years  1920  and  1921.  All  figures  used  in  the  discussion  of  membership,  Sun- 
day-school enrollment,  finances,  etc.,  during  these  twenty-three  years  are  from 
these  official  yearbooks  of  the  several  denominations. 

A  complete  analysis  was  made  of  the  juvenile  delinquency  cases  for  1917,  1920 
and  1921.  Also,  an  analysis  was  made  of  the  six  hundred  and  sixty  Union  Relief 
cases  for  1921,  the  Union  Relief  Association  being  the  organized  charity  society 
of  the  city. 

A  study  was  made  of  the  various  boys'  and  girls'  "character  building"  organiza- 
tions, including  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Boy  and  Girl  Scouts,  Boy's  Club, 
Girl's  Club  and  the  Achievement  Clubs.  A  brief  study  of  all  the  recreational 
facilities  of  the  city  was  made. 

Spot  maps  were  made  for  the  parishes  of  eleven  churches  of  the  city  and  for 
the  Sunday  schools  of  twenty-one  churches. 


II 

THE  PEOPLE  AND  THEIR  CHURCHES 

The  City  of  Springfield  is  one  of  the  largest  industrial  centers  of  New  England 
today,  boasting  a  population  of  135,000,  with  540  manufacturing  plants  putting 
forth  478  products  and  employing  30,000  men  and  women.  Spring-field  was  founded 
in  1635  at  the  junction  of  the  largest  river  in  New  England  and  an  ancient  western 
trail.  In  1794  it  was  authorized  as  a  site  for  the  first  Federal  gim  factory.  This 
marked  the  beginning  of  the  city's  industrial  development.  In  the  early  forties  of 
the  last  century,  the  first  railroad  came  to  Springfield  and  at  that  time  the  industrial 
life  of  the  city  received  a  tremendous  impetus. 

The  city  more  than  doubled  in  population  from  1900  to  1920,  increasing 
117  per  cent.  About  one-fourth  of  its  people  are  foreign-born  and  about  one-half 
of  the  native-born  are  first  generation  Americans.  There  are  2,600  negroes  and 
about  200  Orientals,  largely  Chinese.  The  largest  group  of  foreign-born  are  Irish, 
there  being  nearly  6,000.  This  is  also  the  oldest  group,  the  first  Irishman  having 
come  to  Springfield  with  William  Pynchon,  one  of  the  founders.  The  second 
largest  group  is  the  Italian,  with  about  4,500.  The  Russian  with  3,800;  French- 
Canadian,  with  3,700;  and  the  Polish,  with  2,400,  form  the  other  three  large 
groups.  Scotland,  England,  Sweden  and  Germany  have  each  contributed  about 
1,000  to  the  foreign-born;  and  Greece  nearly  as  many.  The  Greeks  have  increased 
in  number  since  1910  and  have  a  larger  percentage  increase  for  the  last  ten  years 
than  any  other  group.  They  also  mark  the  newest  migration.  The  smaller  groups 
include  Austrian,  Syrian,  Armenian,  Finnish,  French,  Hungarian,  Lithuanian, 
Czecho-Slovakian,  Norwegian,  and  Danish.  The  percentage  of  foreign-born  has 
declined  slightly  since  1910,  it  having  been  25.9  per  cent,  in  1910  and  24.1  per  cent, 
in  1920;  but  with  their  American-born  children  those  of  this  group  probably  con- 
stitute well  over  one-third  of  the  population. 

According  to  the  United  States  census,  46  per  cent,  of  the  people  of  the  city 
are  at  work  in  the  city's  industries  and  businesses  and  39  per  cent,  are  at  home.  Of 
those  at  work,  the  m'ajority  are  skilled  workers,  46.8  per  cent,  bemg  engaged  in 
manufacturing  and  mechanical  industries  as  machinists,  builders,  etc.;  13.9  per  cent, 
are  engaged  in  trade  as  bankers,  clerks,  salesmen,  etc. ;  12.7  per  cent,  are  engaged 
in  clerical  occupations  as  bookkeepers,  stenographers,  etc. ;  9.9  per  cent,  are  engaged 
in  domestic  and  personal  service  as  nurses,  barbers,  etc. ;  7.5  per  cent,  are  engaged 
in  transportation  as  drivers,  motormen,  freight  agents,  etc.;  6.3  per  cent,  are 
engaged  in  professional  service  as  lawyers,  clergymen,  teachers,  etc.;  2.4  per  cent, 
are  engaged  in  public  service  as  policemen,  firemen,  etc.,  and  0.5  per  cent,  are 
engaged  in  all  other  occupations. 

4 


RELIGIOUSADHERENCE 
SPRINGFIELD.  MASS. 


SPRINGFIELD  PENOMINATIONS 


47.3%  44a*  6  1% 

SP*INGflElD.MASS.  1922 


OTMECf 

1.2% 


10. i* 

I 


\6,182        3.701        iil$        1,891  J 

82.1':* 
sfKwefiaii.MAss.  tm 


».«f«ii».i,  LUTHEBAH  ^Hj 

I  ■  ■;  ■ 

Uso        607  495/  Vis  IS  J 

9.7%  8i* 


The  Faith  of  the  People 

The  household  canvass  revealed  that  47  per  cent,  of  the  people  of  the  city  are 
Protestant;  45  per  cent.  Catholic;  6  per  cent.  Hebrew;  and  slightly  over  1  per  cent, 
of  other  faiths,  including  Orthodox  Greeks  and  Mohammedans.  This  leaves  less 
than  1  per  cent,  acknowledging-  no  religious  preference  or  allegiance  whatever. 
The  household  canvass  further  indicated  that  of  the  total  Protestant  group,  49  per 
cent,  are  city-born  (native)  ;  36  per  cent,  are  rural-born  (native)  ;  and  15  per  cent, 
are  foreign-born.  For  the  Roman  Catholic  population,  the  figures  are  quite  dif- 
ferent, showing  48  per  cent,  are  city-born  (native)  ;  only  16  per  cent,  are  rural- 
born  (native)  ;  and  36  per  cent,  are  foreign-born.  The  probable  adult  Protestant 
population  is  41,000.  Of  this  number,  26,500  are  church  members,  including  those 
who  are  members  of  out-of-town  churches  and  those  who  have  at  some  time  been 
members  of  city  churches  but  who  are  no  longer  on  the  rolls  of  the  local  churches. 
The  actual  number  on  the  rolls  of  the  local  churches  is  about  17,000. 

The  first  church  to  be  established  in  Springfield  was  the  First  Church  of  Christ 
Congregational,  organized  in  1637 — the  fourteenth  church  to  be  established  in  the 
colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  It  is  recorded  that  John  Mathews  was  hired,  by  a 
vote  of  the  town  of  Springfield,  to  beat  the  drum  every  Sunday  for  half  an  hour 
before  the  commencement  of  the  morning  service,  for  which  he  was  to  receive  four 
pence  in  wampum  from  each  family — or  its  equivalent,  a  peck  of  Indian  corn. 

Today,  the  people  worship  in  eighty-seven  ditYerent  congregations  and  are  sum- 
moned to  the  Sunday  morning  services  by  the  chimes  in  the  new  Municipal  Building 
located  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  First  Church.  These  eighty-seven  religious 
groups  include  fourteen  Roman  Catholic,  two  Greek  Catholic,  seven  Hebrew  con- 
gregations, a  group  of  Bahaists,  an  unorganized  group  of  Mohammedans  and  sixty- 
two  groups  of  Protestants,  of  which  forty-five  are  regular  denominations,  twelve 
irregular  and  four  missions  with  denominational  afiiliations.  The  twelve  "irregular" 
groups  include  six  denominations  which  are  listed  by  the  United  States  census: 
Christadelphians  (20),  h'irst  Spiritualist  Union  (100),  International  Spiritualists 
Union  (22),  Theoso])hical  Society  (65),  Christian  Scientists  (750,  estimated),  and 
Latter  Day  Saints  (19)  ;  and  six  not  listed  by  the  census — International  Bible 
Students  (50),  Associated  Bible  Students  (25),  New  'I'hought  (105);  also  three 
missions-^Rescue  Mission  (49),  Pentacostal  Mission  (  20,  estimated  ),  Gospel  Mission 
(30).  The  missions  with  denominational  affiliations  are  Rushvillc  Mission  (35), 
Foster  Chapel  ( meml^ershij)  included  in  Hope  Church),  Jasper  Street  Congrega- 
tional Mission  (15),  the  Italian  Baptist  Mission  (55)  and  the  Sharon  Baptist 
Mission — Negro  (27).  Of  the  remaining  forty-five  Protestant  groups  one — the 
Quakers  (7) — is  organized  "for  work,  not  for  worshij)" ;  and  two.  the  Free  Method- 


ists  (20),  and  the  Salvation  Army  (104),  have  not  been  included  in  this  preliminary 
tabulation  for  reasons  already  stated.  The  forty-two  remaining  churches  are  dis- 
tributed among-  sixteen  denominations  as  follows : 

Number  of  Xumber  of 

Protestant  Churches  Churches  Members  Percentage 

Congregational    10  6,282  34 

Baptist   9  3,704  20.1 

Methodist    Episcopal     6  3,276  17.8 

Protestant   Episcopal    3  1,891  10.2 

Lutheran     2  607  3.3 

Undenominational    2  680  Z.7 

Universalist    2  476  2.6 

Disciples  of  Christ   1  154  0.8 

Advent  Christian    1  319  1.8 

Seventh   Day   Advent    1  176  0.9 

Presbyterian     1  252  1.4 

Unitarian    1  429  22 

A.  M.  E 1  150  0.8 

A.  M.  E.  Zion   1  12  0.1 

Colored  M.  E 1  42  0.2 

Total    42  *18,450  100.00 

For  more  than  two  centuries,  the  churches  of  Springfield  were  all  of  Protestant 
denominations.  In  1847,  the  first  Roman  Catholic  Church,  St.  Benedict's,  was  or- 
ganized. This  later  became  St.  Michael's  in  1861  and  moved  to  State  Street.  In 
the  decade  1870  to  1880,  four  more  Roman  Catholic  churches  were  established ;  two 
of  them  in  Indian  Orchard — St.  Aloysius  (French)  in  1873,  and  St.  Matthews,  1878. 
Two  churches  were  founded  in  Springfield  proper.  Of  these,  St.  Joseph's,  1873, 
was  also  a  French  church.  There  were  no  other  Roman  Catholic  churches  founded 
until  1893,  when  Our  Lady  of  Mt.  Carmel  was  organized  on  William  Street.  This 
was  the  first  Italian  church.  All  Souls  was  founded  in  1895.  The  decade  1900  to 
1910  marked  the  founding  of  numerous  other  Roman  Catholic  churches,  including 
The  Church  of  the  Holy  Family — 1901,  Immaculate  Conception — 1905  (Indian 
Orchard)  ;  Our  Lady  of  Hope — 1906;  Church  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  (Syrian), 
1907;  and  The  Church  of  the  Holy  Name  in  1909.  The  newest  Roman  Catholic 
church,  Our  Lady  of  the  Rosary,  was  established  in  1917. 

The  first  Jewish  synagogues  appeared  in  the  nineties;  Benai  Jacob,  1891.  on 
Ferry  Street ;  and  Beth  Israel,  1892,  on  Main  Street.  Three  more  Jewish  congre- 
gations, all  in  the  North  End,  were  founded  between  1900  and  1905 :  Sons  of  Israel, 
1902;  Tifercs  Israel,  1903,  and  Kesser  Israel,  1904.  In  1912,  another  Hebrew 
congregation  was  established — Beth  El. 

The  first  Eastern  Orthodox  church — St.  George's  (Greek) — was  established  in 
1906. 

The  first  of  the  colored  churches  now  existing  was  the  Third  Baptist,  estab- 
lished in  1872. 

The  only  German  church  was  the  German  Lutheran  in  1889 ;  and  the  first 
Swedish  church  was  the  Swedish  Evangelical  Mission,  established  in  the  same  year. 

The  founding  of  other  Protestant  churches  will  be  discussed  in  the  chapter  on 
denominations. 

Ill 

THE    PROTESTANT    CHURCHES 

A  detailed  study  of  the  forty-two  Protestant  churches  has  been  made.  Some 
of  the  outstanding  facts  will  be  presented  here.  A  more  careful  analysis  will  be 
given,  however,  in  the  book  to  be  published. 

The  Size  of  Springfield  Churches 

The  size  of  these  churches  ranges  from  12  members  to  1,558 — the  average  size 
being  334.  More  than  half  the  churches — 26 — report  fewer  than  400  members  each. 
Seven  of  these  have  fewer  than  100  members.  There  are  fourteen  churches  with  a 
membershi])  of  over  500;  five  of  them  having  more  than  1.000  members  each. 

*This  includes  non-resident  as  well  as   resident  members. 


1908-10 

1917-19  i'2  of  the  churches  had 


over  200  members 
over  300  members 
over  400  members 
over  500  members 


The  median  size  of  the  churches  of  the  four  major  denominations  has  increased 
in  almost  exact  arithmetical  ratio  as  follows : 

1899-01   ^2  of  the  churches  had  under  and  Yi 
of  the  churches  had  under  and  ^ 
under  and  Yi 
1921         Y^  of  the  churches  had  under  and  >4 
The  gain  of  the  last  date  may  not  hold   for  the  decade,  but   the  tendency  to 
larger  average  size  is  well  established. 

Men  and  Women  as  Church  Members 

Of  the  forty-two  churches,  twenty-nine,  covering  eleven  denominations,  have 
furnished  information  as  to  the  sex  of  their  members.  These  twenty-nine  churches 
had,  in  1921,  11,923  members,  of  whom  4,423  were  men  and  7,500  were  women. 
That  is,  37.1  per  cent  of  all  of  the  members  were  men. 

The  Baptist  and  Congregational  churches  report  a  steady  increase  in  the  pro- 
portion of  men  during  the  last  twenty  years.  The  Baptist  Year  Books  report  this 
detail  only  until  1916:  the  percentage'in  1902-04  being  30.6  per  cent,  and  increasing 
to  32.8  per  cent  in  1914-16.  In  the  case  of  the  Congregational  churches  the  ratio 
rose  steadily  from  32.4  per  cent  in  1899-1901  to  37.4  per  cent  in  1921. 

The  Growth  of  the  Churches 

The  membership  figures  for  the  four  major  denominations  throw  light  upon  the 
period  growth  of  the  churches  since  1899. 

The  increases  and  decreases  of  individua 
records  are  shown  in  the  following  table,  in 
four  classes,  according  to  relative  growth  : 

(A)  The  highest  growth.  (C)      Less 

(B)  More  than  average  growth.    (D)      The 
The  first  and  second  columns  show  the  average  gains  or  losses  between  three- 
year  periods  ten  years  apart,  thus  covering  two  decades.     The  third  column  shows 
the  gains  or  losses  of  1921  relative  to  the  annual  average  of  1917-1919. 

RANKING   OF   CHURCHES   OF   FOUR    SPRINGFIELD    DENOMINATIONS    BY 
RATE  OF  AYERAGE  ANNUAL  GROWTH  :   TWO   DECADES  AND   1921 


1  churches  relative  to  their  ozvn  past 

which  the  churches  are  divided  into 

than    average   growth, 

least  erowth  or  gcnerallv  actual  loss. 


1908-10  over   1899-1901 
Church  Per  Cent 

Swedish  Mission  Cong'l  188 

Emmanuel  Cong'l   138 

Park  Memorial  Bpt 114 

Faith  Cong'l 113 

St.   Tohn's   Cong'l    83 

Third  Bapt 67 

Fourth  Cong'l    50 

Asbury  M.  E 2,7 


Trinity  M.  E 31 

Carew  St.  Bapt 25 

North  Cong'!    2.i 

Park  Cong'l    20 

Hope  Cong'l   17 

South  Cong'l    14 


Christ  P.  Epis. 
Mrst   Cong'l.. 


Evangelical    Cong'l — 4 


Grace   M.   E 

Eastern    Ave.    Cong'l. 

Olivet  Cong'l   

State    St.    Bapt   

Wesley    M.   E 


.—5 
. . — 7 

.—9 
.—10 

97 


1917-19  over   1908-10 
Church  A  P^''  *^^"' 

All  Saints  Epis 475 

Liberty  M.  E 395 

St.   John's   Cong'l 93 

B 

Faith  Cong'l   85 

Emmanuel  Cong'l   74 

Wesley  M.  E 64 

Third  Bapt 60 

Park  Mem.  Bapt 54 

First   Cong'l 43 

C 

Asbury  M.  E 40 

Olivet  Cong'l    35 

St.  lames  M.  E 34 

St.  Peters  P.  Epis 28 

Park  Cong'l    .  .  .  ._ 21 

Evangelical  Cong'l   11 

First^Highl'd  Bapt 8 

North  Cong'l   2 

D 
Swedish    Mission    Cong'l     1 

Grace   M.  E 0 

Trinity    M.    E — 1 

Hope    Cong'l — 2 

Christ    P.    Epis —3 

State  St.  Bapt —5 

South    Cong'l — 6 


1921   over   1917-19 
Church  Per  Cent 

Faith  Cong'l  30 

Third  Bapt 29 

St.  John's   Cong'l    24 

Park   Mem.    Bapt 25 

Wesley  M.  E 17 

St.  James   M.   E 14 

Swedish   Alission   Cong'l  12 

All  Saints  Epis..^ 12 

Emmanuel    Cong'l    11 

Evangelical  Cong'l   9 

St.  Peters  P.  E 8 

Christ  P.  Epis 5 

First   Cong'l    1 

Asbury  M.  E 1 

Grace  M.  E — 1 

Carew    St.    Bapt — 1 

Liberty   M.   E —3 

Hope   Cong'l — H 

North    Cong'l —14 

Park    Cong'l —18 

Swedish    Baptist — 35 


Carew  St. 


Bapt. 
7 


-14 


As  a  whole,  the  table  shows  great  fluctuations.  It  is  well  to  note,  however, 
that  Faith  and  St.  John's  Congregational  churches  maintain  their  position  in  the 
upper  class  throughout  the  entire  period ;  and  that  Park  Memorial  Baptist  and 
Emmanuel  Congregational  are  in  this  class  for  two  of  the  three  periods.  The 
Third  Baptist  is  on  the  border  line  of  Class  A  for  two  periods  and  in  Class  A  for 
the  third  period.  These  are  the  churches  of  the  most  rapid  and  most  constant 
growth.  In  the  decreasing  class,  there  are  the  Swedish  Baptist,  State  Street  Baptist 
and  Hope  Congregational  churches,  in  two  of  the  three  periods ;  and  the  Park  Con- 
gregational, First  Congregational  and  Christ  Episcopal,  in  Class  C,  the  churches 
that  have  grown  with  less  than  average  rapidity  in  two  of  the  three  periods.  Carew 
Street  and  Hope  Congregational  have  both  declined  from  higher  to  lower  classes, 
while  North  Congregational  has  lost  ground  continuously.  Wesley,  on  the  other 
hand,  has  risen  to  a  higher  class. 

From  the  standpoint  of  continuity  of  gains  or  losses,  over  this  same  period,  the 
churches  take  the  following  rank : 

RANK  OF  CHURCHES  IN  NUMERICAL  GROWTH  FOR  PERIOD  1899  TO  1921 
(Calculated  by  Three-year  Averages) 

A  B  C 

Rank  Church  No.  Periods 

More  Rapid  Growth  Showing  Loss 

1  Faith   Congregational    

2  Highland  Baptist   1 

2  Park  Memorial  Baptist    

3  First    Congregational    1 

4  Third  Baptist   1 

5  St.   John's    Congregational    

6  St.  Peter's  Protestant  Episcopal   1 

Above  Average  Growth 

7  All  Saints'  Protestant  Episcopal    1 

7  Emmanuel   Congregational    

8  Hope    Congregational    3 

9  Wesley  Methodist  Episcopal    2 

10  Asbury  Methodist  Episcopal    1 

11  Trinity    Methodist    Episcopal    3 

12  South    Congregational    

12  Chase  Memorial  Baptist   

Below  Average  Growth 

13  St.  James'  Methodist  Episcopal    1 

14  Swedish    Evangelical    Congregational     1 

15  (Olivet    Congregational)     

(French  Congregational)    

16  Evangelical  Indian  Orchard   4 

(Eastern  Avenue  Congregational )    

17  Carew  Street  Baptist    3 

18  Liberty  Methodist  Episcopal    1 

Slowest  Growth  or  Loss 

19  Park   Congregational    2 

20  Swedish    Baptist    (2) 

21  North   Congregational    3 

22  (Grace    Methodist    Episcopal)     (6) 

(First   Baptist)     (2) 

23  (State  Street  Baptist)    (5) 

24  Bethany  Baptist    ( 1  ^ 

The  column  headed  "Number  of  periods  showing  loss"  indicates  how  few 
churches  gained  consistently  in  every  one  of  the  three-year  periods,  and  how  gener- 
ally difficult  it  is  for  a  church  to  make  a  good  record  over  the  entire  period  if  it 
has  many  short  periods  of  loss. 

Com])aring  this  table  with  the  former  one  showing  increase  of  individual 
churches  in  terms  of  their  past  records,  it  will  be  noted  that  Faith  and  St.  John's 
Congregational  churches  and  Park  Memorial  Baptist  have  not  only  made  the  most 
rapid  gains  in  terms  of  their  own  growth,  but  have  on  the  whole  contributed  most 
to  the  general  growth  and  have  done  so  most  continuously.  These  contrast  with 
the  First  Congregational  Church,  which  ranks  third  in  its  absolute  contribution 
to  Protestant  growth  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  it  has  had  one  period  of  very  sharp 
decrease. 

8 


32  PROTESTANT    CHURCHES 
1921 


GAINS 


At  the  other  end  of  the  Hst  will  be  found  the  churches  which  have  contributed 
least  or  generally  slowed  down  the  general  Protestant  growth.  The  churches  whose 
names  appear  in  brackets  are  those  which  have  gone  out  of  business.  The  table  is 
an  eloquent  commentary  upon  this  fact.  Continuous  failure  to  grow  for  a  long 
period  naturally  challenges  the  right  of  a  church  to  exist,  at  least  along  the  lines 
of  its  previous  policy. 

Analysis  of   Gains   and   Losses 

Complete  returns  on  gains  and  losses  in  church  membership  in  1921  were  made 
by  thirty-two  churches,  representing  fourteen  denominations — two  of  the  very  small 
denominations  giving  no  informa- 
tion on  this  point.  The  total  num- 
ber of  losses — 711 — is  55.5  per 
cent  of  the  total  gains,  1,281.  Of 
the  711  losses,  20  per  cent  were  by 
death ;  42  per  cent  by  transfer ;  and 
38  per  cent  by  "revision  of  the 
rolls."  These  percentages  agree 
very  closely  with  those  for  the 
Baptist  and  Congregational 
churches  over  the  twenty-three- 
year  period  (see  p.  22,  Chapter 
\^)  and  indicate,  perhaps,  the 
usual  way  in  which  losses  occur. 
A  study  of  the  gains  shows  that 
of  the  746  persons  admitted  for  the 

first  time  only  297  were  from  the 

Sunday-school   and   under   twenty- 
one  years  of  age. 

GAINS  AND  LOSSES  IN  MEMBERSHIP  FOR 

32  PROTESTANT  CHURCHES,  1921 
GAINS 

LOSSES 


Lettcb 
42% 


LOSSES 


RcvisioN 
38% 


DtATM 

20% 


Spnngfre'd  Social  and  Religious   Sjrvey  1922 


TOT.AL 

1.281 
100% 


First  Admittance 

From  S.S. 

Under  21  Other 

297  449 

23.2%  35.0% 


Transfer 

Total 

Deaths 

Transfers 

Revision 

535 

711 

143 

299 

269 

41.8% 

100% 

20.17c 

42.1% 

37.8% 

RANK  OF  SPRINGFIELD  CHURCHES  BY  AGGREGATE  AVERAGE  ATTEND- 
ANCE UPON  ALL  ORGANIZATIONS  AND  STATED  ACTIVITIES 

Rank  in  Church       Attendance  Rank  Rela- 
Church  AIembership  tive  to  Membership  Rank 

A 

First  Congregational    1 

First    Baptist    2 

South   Congregational    3 

Wesley  Methodist  Episcopal 4 

Park  Memorial  Baptist 11  7 

Christ   Protestant   Episcopal 5  — 1 

St.  James   Methodist   Episcopal 15  9 

St.   John's   Congregational 12  5 

First  Asbury  Alethodist  Episcopal 9  1 

Faith  Congregational   6  — ^3 

B 

Emmanuel  Congregational   18  8 

Third  Baptist   7  —4 

North  Congregational    13  1 

Auburndale   Baptist    34  21 

Mt.    Calvary    Baptist 17  3 

Church  of  the   Unity,   Unitarian 14  —1 

L'nion   Memorial    8  o 

.\11    Saints,    Potcstant    Episcopal 19  2 

Loring  Street  African  Mcth.  Epis 30  12 

Seventh  Day  .A.dvcnt 28  9 

Liberty  Methodist  Episcopal 33  13 

9 


Rank 


4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
1(» 

11 
12 
13 
14 

15 
\(\ 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 


Rank 


22 
23 
24 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 


32 
3i 
34 
35 
36 
2,7 
38 
39 
40 
41 


Rank  in  Church 
Church                                           Membership 

C 

Swedish  Mission  Congregational 25 

Carew  Street  Baptist ZZ 

First  Presbyterian 24 

Advent    Christian    20 

St.  Peter's  Protestant  Episcopal 34 

St.  Paul's  Universalist 16 

Evangelical  Congregational   27 

Community   Church    (Undenom.) i7 

Chase  Memorial  Baptist 32 

Second  Universalist    35 

I) 

First  Disciples   29 

Swedish  Lutheran  21 

German  Lutheran    22 

Park  Congregational   26 

Bethany  Baptist  36 

Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal 31 

St.  Mark's  Colored  M.  E 38 

Swedish    Baptist    39 

Zion  African  Meth.  Epis 41 

New  Jerusalem    40 


Attendance  Rank  Rela- 
tive TO  Membership  Rank 


4 
1 
1 
—4 
9 
—10 

9 
3 

5 


2 

-11 

—11 

—8 

1 

5 

1 

1 

—2 


Classes  A  and  B  are  above  average,  A  being  the  largest  and  Classes  C  and  D  below 
average,  D  being  the  smaller.  Liberty  M.  E.  Church  occupies  the  median  place.  The  rank  of 
each  church  from  membership  is  indicated  in  the  right-hand  column  and  the  divergence 
of  attendance   rank   from  membership  rank   shown. 

It  will  be  noted  that. 

Class  A  includes  7  of  the  10  largest  memberships 

Class  D  '.        7    •■     "  "    smallest  " 

Class  B  "       5    '■     "  "    average  " 

Class  C  "       3    ''     "  "  "  " 

This  indicates  that  there  are  some  "small-big"  churches,  as  well  as  some  "big- 
little"  churches,  like  Auburndale  Baptist  and  Liberty  Methodist,  whose  total  working 
adherents  far  exceed  their  church  memberships. 


CHURCH  SIZE 


NOMINAL  OR  REAL? 


,awt*«rii(i««3»is 


li' Baptist 
^  Wesley  M.E. 
f!)tlMem1lit[^iv 
Faith  Cong 
3n(  Riptist 
Aul.'iirndalcBdpl. 
Mtntonal 
Liberty  M.E. 
Gomun  Luth 
Park  ConqV 


I- Church  Membership 

I  -  A^^aakAwraqi  Attendance  on  all 
Orqanizations — Activitic  s 


A  NATIONAL 

CHURCH  YARD-STICK 

Frequency  of ttraironcc  of  specified  organiidtiotisanicl 
activities  in  500  American  Gty  Churches. 


BAY  NURSEIIY 

oBMwnes  ciASiES 

ENCilSH  CLASSES 
HEALTH  CLASSES 
VISITIHC  NUDSE 
MUSIC  CLASSES 
EMPL«rNENTOfFIC( 
DOMESTIC  SCIENCE  CLASSES 
KIMDEROARTEN 
SEWIN6  CLASSES 
OrMNASIUM  CLASSES 
DRAMATIC  CLUBS 
VOUNCWDNEN'SOIIGII 
MirrHBRS'-WmiMTS   ■■ 
OIRL  SCOUTS  OR  EQUIV. 
CONCERTS 

(HKLS CLUB i" -~' -1 

LIOURY 
IECTU8ES 

60YSCIUJI '.-.«.•- 

ORCHESTRtORHNII 
OfUKIIIUD  WELCOME 
NIJSICN  SlWr CLASSES 

MYScdure 

MENS  OliC«HI2ATI0NS 
CHORUS  CHOIR 
<lflliUlSOfl»LE«NlS 
YOUKOMOPlfSOIlGAIdZATION 
WOKENS  MISSIONIIV  SiKHTY 
UMESAIDOtOUILD 
PKACHIKU'-'S.S. 
Percent  /nyue/uru         , 


— ■ -Zi« 

\ 


n«>(Sib«ov( 


10 


The  National  Yard-Stick 

Is  there  any  principle  of  classification  which  shall  take  us  beyond  these  com- 
parisons of  size  and  give  us  a  more  significant  yard-stick  ?  Such  a  principle  might 
he  found  by  the  comparison  of  church  programs.  This  has  already  been  hinted 
at  in  the  insistence  that  size  comparisons  should  refer  not  primarily  to  church 
membership,  but  to  aggregate  attendance  on  the  activities  of  the  church  and  all  its 
subsidiary  organizations:  missionary  societies,  young  people's,  men's,  boys',  girls' 
organizations  and  the  like.  These  subsidiary  organizations  represent  the  effort  of 
the  church  to  do  this  or  that  particular  service  for  and  through  this  or  that  age-, 
or  sex-group,  or  for  all  its  constituencies  together. 

The  survey,  therefore,  brings  from  the  comparative  study  of  a  thousand  Prot- 
estant churches,  in  cities  of  over  one  hundred  thousand  population,  what  may  be 
called  a  national  yard-stick.  This  consists  in  the  arrangement,  in  a  frequency- 
series,  of  thirty-three  kinds  of  organizations  and  stated  activities  carried  on  by 
about  five  hundred  city  churches,  as  discovered  by  the  Interchurch  World  Move- 
ment Surveys.  The  relative  frequency  with  which  each  of  the  thirty-three  specified 
organizations  and  activities  occurred  in  the  five  hundred  churches  studied  appears 
in  the  diagram,  "A  National  Church  Yard-Stick,"  on  page  10. 

It  appears  that  about  one-half  of  the  entire  list  occurs  in  less  than  20  per  cent 
of  the  churches ;  but  that  certain  ones,  viz.,  Sunday-school,  ladies'  aid  activities  or 
guilds,  women's  missionary  societies,  and  young  people's  societies  are  common  to 
over  80  per  cent  of  all  churches.  These  are  the  conventional  elements  of  the  Prot- 
estant program,  as  contrasted  with  the  exceptional  ones.  The  degree  to  which 
any  given  activity  of  the  specified  list  is  usual  or  exceptional  appears  from  its 
position  on  the  list. 

The  Rank  of  Springfield  Churches 

To  classify  a  church,  one  simply  sets  its  program  up  to  see  how  high  it  meas- 
ures on  the  national  yard  stick.  A  Springfield  church  like  the  Swedish  Methodist, 
which  reports  only  a  Sunday-school,  an  aid  and  missionary  society,  and  a  young 
people's  organization,  is  doing  only  the  most  usual  and  common  things  which  a 
church  can  do.  It  has  the  narrowest  and  most  conventional  type  of  program.  Stand 
its  program  up  against  the  national  yard  stick,  and  one  finds  it  a  one-story  church, 
with  an  niidcr-dcvclnpcd  organization,  following  a  rural  rather  than  an  urban 
pattern. 

A  church  like  the  North  Congregational,  which,  with  one  exception,  has  no 
activity  or  organization  beyond  the  eighth  (Boy  Scouts),  links  itself  to  a  very 
ordinary  program,  one  shared  by  at  least  40  per  cent  of  all  city  Protestant  churches. 
It  may  be  said  to  have  a  conventionally  expanded  program  or  to  be  a  two-story 
church. 

A  church  like  the  Park  Memorial  Baptist,  whose  program  piles  up  as  high  as 
the  eighteenth  place  on  the  frequency-scale,  is  attempting  some  things  attempted  by 
only  about  15  per  cent  of  the  city  churches  in  America.  A  significant  part  of  its 
program  falls  within  the  exceptional  range.  It  is  a  three-story  church,  with  an 
elaborated  program. 

Two  Springfield  churches,  the  South  Congregational  through  its  Olivet  Com- 
munity House,  and  the  St.  John's  Congregational  with  its  institutional  activities, 
are  doing  what  only  two  or  three  per  cent  of  the  city  churches  of  America  have 
attempted.  They  fall  in  the  very  exceptional  class  of  socially  adapted  churches, 
and  tend  toward  skyscraper  programs. 

-V  classification  of  churches  according  to  likeness  of  program  will  put  all  the 
narrower  conventional  churches  in  a  pile  with  the  Swedish  Alethodist,  all  the  con- 
ventionally exi)anded  ones  in  a  pile  with  the  North  Congregational,  and  all  those 
with  an  elaborated  all-around  jirogram  in  a  pile  with  Park  Memorial  Baptist.  So 
far  as  Springfield  is  concerned,  there  is  none  left  to  go  with  South-Olivet  and 
St.  John's  Congregational  in  the  socially  adapted  group. 

A])])lying  these  ]irinciples  of  classification  to  the  entire  body  of  Protestant 
churches  yields  the  following  results,  which  should  be  regarded  as  tentative  and 
subject  to  correction  : 

11 


Under-developed  Churches — 13  Asbury  Methodist  Episcopal 

c      A-  u    v     <-•  +  Liberty  Methodist  Episcopal 

Swedish  Baptist  ^t^    i       at  *^i,  j-  4.  t?   •  1 

German    T  ntheran  Wesley  Methodist  Episcopal 

Lrerman  Lutheran  ^^^^-^^  Church;  Protestant  Episcopal 
Swedish    Lutheran  ^       ^ 

Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Socially  Adapted  Churches-2 
St.  Mark  s  Colored  Methodist  Episcopal 

New  Jerusalem  South   (,01ivet)    Congregational 

Advent  Christian  St.  John's  Congregational 

Seventh  Day  Advent 

African  Methodist  Episcopal  Zion  Typical  Developed  Churches — 14 
Bethany  Baptist  Loring  Street  African  Methodist  Episcopal 

Mount  Calvary  Baptist  Emmanuel   Congregational 

Swedish  Mission  Congregational  ^^-^^  Congregational 

First  Disciples  North   Congregational 

T,  ^  n  Park  Congregational 

Elaborated  Churches-12  ^Ij  S^j^^^^,  Protestant  Episcopal 

Hope   Congregational  St.  Peter's  Protestant  Episcopal 

Third   Baptist  First  Presbyterian 

Church  of  the  Unity — Unitarian  *  Carew  Street  Baptist 

Auburndale  Baptist  *  Evangelical  Congregational 

Chase  Memorial  Baptist  *  St.  Paul's  Laiiversalist 

First  Baptist  *  Second  Universalist 

Park   Memorial   Baptist  *  Union  Memorial  (Undenominational) 

First  Congregational  *  Trinity  Methodist  Episcopal 

What  are  the  particular  characteristics  and  affinities  of  the  types  of  churches 
as  thus  distinguished  ? 

In  order  to  avoid  too  great  detail,  the  forty-three  Springfield  churches  may  be 
divided  into  two  groups  as  nearly  equal  as  possible,  having  twenty-one  and  tw^enty- 
two  churches,  respectively. 

As  it  turns  out,  the  fourteen  churches  which  we  have  classified  as  undcr- 
dez'elopcd  and  the  eight  churches  as  conventionally  expanded  total  twenty-two. 
These  may  be  called  the  narrozif-program  half  -of  the  Protestant  group.  Again,  the 
six  transitional  churches,  the  thirteen  elaborated  churches,  and  the  two  socially 
adapted  churches  total  twenty-one  and  thus  constitute  the  broad-prograni  half  of 
the    group. 

Nationality  and  Race 

Now,  all  the  Protestant  churches  of  foreign  antecedent  will  be  found  in  the 
lowest  ranks  of  the  narrow-program  half. 

Again,  five  of  the  seven  Negro  churches  will  be  found  at  the  same  level. 

On  the  other  hand,  no  white  church  of  American  origin  will  be  found  in  the 
narrow-program  group. 

Two  Negro  churches,  however,  out  of  the  seven  have  climbed  up  into  the  broad- 
program  group. 

This  demonstrates  pretty  clearly  that  tnider-developed  church  programs  •  are 
the  product  of  the  unprivileged  or  stranger  groups  of  Protestant  population.  This 
is  an  important  discovery  which  comparisons  of  size  do  not   fully  show. 

Denominations 

The  denominational  affinities  of  the  different  statistical  types  have  a  certain 
significance.  Without  invidious  intent,  it  is  convenient  to  divide  the  denominations 
represented  in  Springfield  Protestantism  as  follows : 

A. — ^"The  Big  Four" :  Congregational,  Baptist, 
Methodist  and  Episcopal  including  83  per 
cent  of  the  total  Protestant  membership 

B. — Other  well-established  denominations 
which   are  locally  or  nationally  large 

*The  transitional  character  of  Trinity  Church,  witli  work  in  temporary  quarters  during  the  erect'on 
of  its  new  building,  is  well   understood  in   Springfield. 

In  less  degree,  the  other  churches  starred  should  be  regarded  as  transitional  and  on  the  way  toward 
the  ne.Nt  type. 

12 


C. — Other  established  denominations  which  are 

locally  or  national!}'  small 
D. — Small   and  peculiar   or  poorly   established 

denominations 
E. — Undenominationa?l  churches 

As  already  indicated,  the  foreign  and  Negro  churches  belonging  to  the  denomi- 
national families  included  in  the  "Big  Four"  predominately  belong  to  the  narrow- 
program  group  of  churches. 

Of  the  white  churches  of  American  origin  belonging  to  these  denominations, 
fifteen  are  in  the  broad-program  group ;  twelve  of  which  are  also  in  higher  classes. 

On  the  contrary,  six  are  in  the  narrow-program  group,  though  none  is  in  its 
lowest  class. 

Churches  of  the  other  well  established  denominations  are  divided  about  equally 
between  the  narrow-program  and  the  broad-program  groups. 

The  small  and  peculiar  and  the  locally  small  denominations,  with  the  foreign 
and  most  of  the  Negro  churches,  fall  within  the  lowest  levels  of  the  narrow- 
program  group. 

Summarizing  the  evidence,  it  is  clear  that  the  more  fully  developed  churches 
of  the  city  belong  to  the  denominations  which  are  well  established  nationally  and  in 
New  England.     This  is  entirely  to  be  expected. 

The  Church  Staff 

Of  the  forty-two  Protestant  churches,  thirty-seven  reported  as  to  the  educational 
qualifications  of  their  pastor.  Thirty-two  pastors  have  completed  the  conventional 
ministerial  training ;  that  is,  highschool,  college  and  seminary.  Eleven  of  these 
thirty-two  have  taken  post-graduate  work  in  addition.  Two  other  pastors  have 
completed  highschool  and  seminary  training,  and  only  three  have  had  no  seminary 
training.     Springfield  ministers  are  a  well-trained  group. 

Reports  as  to  the  experience  of  thirty-eight  Protestant  pastors  show  seventeen 
have  had  fifteen  to  nineteen  years;  eight  from  ten  to  fourteen;  eight  from  six  to 
nine ;  three  from  three  to  five  years.  Springfield  pastors  are,  therefore,  men  of 
experience  in  their  profession,  thirty-five  out  of  thirty-eight  having  had  over  six 
years'  experience. 

Of  thirty-nine  reports,  fifteen  pastors  have  been  in  Springfield  less  than  three 
years ;  thirteen  from  three  to  five  years ;  six  from  six  to  nine  years ;  four  from  ten 
to  fourteen  years;  one  over  twenty  years.  Twenty-eight  out  of  thirty-nine  pastors 
have  been  in  Springfield  five  years  or  less. 

In  addition  to  the  pastor,  fifteen  churches  report  other  paid  workers  on  their 
staff  as  follows : 

Assistant    Pastors    6 

Directors  of  Religious  Education  1 

Parish    Visitors    8 

Pastors'    Secretaries    4 

Other  Personnel   9 

Of  the  forty-two  pastors,  one  works  without  remuneration.  The  salaries  of 
the  others  are  as  follows : 

Under  $1,000    2 

1000-1500   3 

1500-20(X)    14 

2000-25(X)   7 

2500-3000    2 

3000-4000    3 

4000-5000   3 

5000  and  over   7 

Of  the  forty-one  pastors,  fifteen  receive  $2,500  or  over.  These  figures  are 
exclusive  of  parsonage.  In  thirteen  cases,  parsonage  was  reported  in  addition  to 
the  salary. 

13 


Relation  of  Stafif  to  Type  of  Church 

The  narrow-program  churches  inchide  the  majority  or  those  paying  total 
salaries  of  less  than  $2,000,  more  than  half  of  which  are  at  the  lowest  level  as  a 
group. 

With  two  exceptions,  churches  paying  $2,500  or  more  in  salaries  are  not  only 
in  the  broad-program  group  but  in  the  higher  class. 

The  seven  churches  paying  between  $2,000  and  $2,500  salary  (these  being  the 
median),  are  scattered  through  several  groups  falling  four  times  in  the  expanded 
program  group. 

This  is  pretty  clear  evidence  that  part  of  the  additional  salary  of  the  better- 
paid  ministry  is  remuneration  for  the  operation  of  a  more  complex  and  highly 
organized  enterprise.  Job  analysis  would  show  most  of  the  ministers  getting  more 
than  $2,500  doing  a  number  of  things  which  the  ministers  getting  below  $2,000 
are  not  called  upon  to  do  on  account  of  the  different  character  of  the  religious 
program  of  their  respective  churches. 

Investment  and  Expense 

Value  of  the  church  plant,  consisting  of  the  church  building,  parish-house,  and 
parsonage,  where  these  exist,  must,  for  purposes  of  reasonable  comparison,  be  sepa- 
rated from  the  value  of  the  land,  which  varies  greatly  with  location,  as  well  as  with 
amount. 

The  churches  in  the  downtown  section  and  along  State  Street  have  been 
greatly  favored  by  appreciating  land  values  which  do  not  give  them  any  better 
working  facilities  than  they  had  before. 

The  narrow-program  group  has  eleven  out  of  seventeen  church  plants  worth 
less  than  $10,000.  The  two  highest  classes  of  the  broad-program  group  have  thir- 
teen out  of  the  eighteen  plants  worth  more  than  $15,000.  Three  plants  worth  between 
$10,000  and  $15,000  are  divided  between  the  two  groups.  In  general  this  invest- 
ment in  a  permanent  plant  is  proportionate  to  the  breadth  and  character  of  the  work 
which  is  to  be  carried  on  within  its  walls. 

Current  expenses  of  most  churches  consist  primarily  of  salaries  and  expendi- 
tures necessary  for  the  upkeep  of  the  plant.  The  range  of  current  expenses  is  as 
follows : 

Under  $1,000  3 

$1,000  to  $5,000  14 

$5,000  to  $10,000  2 

Over  $15,000  4 

The  group  with  current  expenses  of  $15,000  or  over  may  be  omitted  as  highly 
expanded.  All  churches  falling  in  this  group,  except  Trinity,  whose  transitional 
character  at  the  present  moment  is  well  understood,  have  highly  elaborated  pro- 
grams. 

The  remaining  churches  fall  into  two  nearly  equal  groups  consisting  of 
those  with  salaries  under  and  over  $5,000. 

The  narrow-])rogram  churches  have  two-thirds  of  the  smaller  salaries  and  the 
broad-program  churches  two-thirds  of  the  larger  salaries. 

In  benevolence,  the  narrow-program  churches  again  have  about  two-thirds  of 
the  less-than-average  benevolence,  while  the  broad-program  group  has  just  two- 
thirds  of  the  grou]i  of  churches  with  more  than  average  benevolence. 

Comparison  with  Other  Cities 

Springfield's  church  types  may  be  compared  with  the  342  churches  surveyed 
by  the  Tnterchurch  World  Movement. 

The  results  of  this  comparison  with  a  group  of  churches  probably  typical  of  the 
entire  country  is  as  follows:     Springfield  stands  a  little  over,  and  Hartford  a  little 

14 


under,  the  national  average  in  under-developed  churches.  Springfield  is  very  much 
below,  while  Hartford  is  also  below  the  national  average  in  conventionally  expanded 
churches. 

Springfield  and  Hartford  are  both  considerably  above  the  national  average  in 
transitional  churches. 

Springfield  is  just  about  as  much  beyond  as  Hartford  is  below  the  national 
average  of  elaborated  churches.  Springfield  more  nearly  approximates  the  national 
average  in  socially  adapted  churches,  while  Hartford  has  more  than  twice  as  large 
a  proportion  of  such  churches  as  the  nation  as  a  whole. 

This  is  the  main  point  of  difference,  and  probably  signifies  that  New  England 
cities  have  on  the  whole  more  highly  developed  churches  than  the  cities  of  the  nation 
as  a  whole.    Historical  and  denominational  reasons  for  this  could  probably  be  found. 

In  general,  Springfield  is  somewhat  nearer  the  national  average  than  it  is  to 
that  of  Hartford,  while  Hartford  is  nearer  the  national  average  than  Springfield  is. 

The  differences  are  enough  to  raise  the  question  whether  Springfield  has  not  too 
many  elaborated  churches  for  the  number  of  socially  adapted  ones.  Also  whether 
its  superfluous  transitional  churches  should  not  adopt  one  or  the  other  neighboring 
type  and  acquire  the  standards  appropriated  to'  it. 

What  About  the  Under-Developed  Churches? 

The  second  question  which  must  be  answered  before  judgment  is  pronounced 
upon  individual  churches  is  how  the  entire  group  of  under-developed  churches 
is  to  be  regarded.  The  discovery  that  the  most  characteristic  type  for  the  country 
as  a  whole  is  the  conventionally  expanded  type  puts  the  entire  group  of  under- 
developed churches  in  an  unfavorable  light,  as  being  below  the  level  of  the  average 
church  as  developed  in  the  American  city.  They  are  below  the  representative 
urban  expressions  of  American  religious  history.  By  this  token,  they  are  probably 
below  the  average  level  of  effectiveness.  Statistically  they  are  sub-modal.  Insti- 
tutionally they  are  sub-normal. 

Part  of  their  difficulty  is  that  they  do  not  command  people  enough  to  organize 
into  separate  age-  and  sex-groups  for  religious  and  moral  development.  A  church 
which  cannot  organize  such  groups  is  not  an  urban  church,  even  though  it  is  located 
in  the  city.  To  have  to  deal  with  a  constituency  wholesale  and  not  be  able  to  break 
up  the  family  groups  into  age-  and  sex-groups  is  the  mark  of  a  rural  situation. 

In  order  to  organize  age-  and  sex-groups,  the  constituency  must  furnish  at  least 
the  minimum  required  of  each  age-  and  sex-group.  For  example,  the  Boy  Scouts 
troop  must  have  at  least  twelve  boys  of  a  given  age.  Satisfactory  contrasts  of 
ability  and  temperament,  as  well  as  adequate  financial  basis  and  leadership,  all 
depend  upon  adequate  numbers.  Churches  which  can  rally  a  large  number  of  con- 
stituents in  addition  to  their  church  members  can,  of  course,  carry  on  elaborate 
programs ;  but  churches  which  are  really  too  small  all  around  in  effective  working 
force  cannot  be  efficient.     This  is  the  case  with  a  good  many  in  Springfield. 

The  only  basis  upon  which  such  churches  can  succeed  is  that  of  not  trying  to 
organize  the  several  groups  of  people  through  the  church.  In  this  sense  those 
small  churches  can  get  along  comfortably  if  they  confine  themselves  to  general 
religious  services.  But  such  a  limitation  makes  it  difficult  for  them  to  hold  their 
constituencies,  especially   the  new  generation. 


IV 
THE    SUNDAY-SCHOOLS 

The  forty-two  Protestant  churches  surveyed  in  detail  reported  a  total  Sunday- 
school  enrollment  of  11.570;  this  is  62  per  cent  of  the  total  church  membership. 
In  addition,  there  are  schools  connected  with  the  various  missions,  as  the  Italian 
Baptist  Mission,  the  Rescue  Mission ;  also  several  directed  by  the  Congregational 
Union  and  Hope  Church.     The  total  enrollment  of  these  is  not  over  400. 

15 


Twenty-three  Years'  Growth  in  Sunday-school  Enrollment 

A  study  of  the  relative  growth  of  population,  the  combined  membership  of  the 
four  major  denominations,  and  the  combined  Sunday-school  enrollment  in  these 
denominations,  shows  that  the  Sunday-school  enrollment  has  not  kept  pace  with  the 
church  membership.  The  population  increased  117  per  cent;  church  membership 
64  per  cent  and  Sunday-school  enrollment  only  Z7  per  cent.  In  other  words,  the 
church  membership  of  these  four  denominations  increased  two-thirds  as  rapidly 
as  the  population,  while  the  Sunday-school  enrollment  increased  but  one-third  as 
rapidly.  The  divergence  between  growth  in  church  membership  and  population 
increases  is  probably  due,  in  general,  to  the  changing  character  of  the  population, 
which  is  more  largely  of  non-Protestant  antecedents  than  it  was  twenty  years  ago. 
However,  this  observation  does  not  explain  the  difference  between  church  mem- 
bership and  Sunday-school  enrollment.  Until  1914-16,  Sunday-school  enroll- 
ment about  kept  pace  with  church  membership;  but  since  that  time  there  has  been 
a  decided  falling  off.  which  reached  its  low  point  in  1920.  During  1921,  the  enroll- 
ment increased,  so  that  the  situation  was  somewhat  improved. 

The  Share  of  Each  Denomination  in  Sunday-school  Growth 


INCREASE  IN 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL    ENROLL  MCNT 

5000    .  5000 


4000 


During  this  twenty-three-year  period,  the  total  enrollment  in  all  departments 
of  the  Sunday-school,  in  the  four  major  denominations,  increased  from  8,070  to 
11,090,  a  gain  of  3,020. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday-school,  which  increased  1,225,  or  41  per  cent 

of  the  total  increase,  contributed 
the  largest  amount.  The  Congre- 
gational gain  was  910,  or  30  per 
cent  of  the  total ;  the  Baptist  546, 
or  18  per  cent;  the  Episcopal  339, 
or  11  per  cent.  Looked  at  from 
another  viewpoint,  the  rank  is 
quite  different.  Considering  the 
growth  of  the  Sunday-schools  of 
each  denomination  in  terms  of 
their  own  enrollment,  the  largest 
increase  is  found  in  the  Episcopal 
Sunday-schools,  with  a  net  increase 
of  72  per  cent.  The  second  rank 
is  taken  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Sunday-schools,  with  a  percentage 
increase  of  59.  The  Baptist  and 
Congregational  Sunday  -  schools 
show  about  the  same  net  increase,  namely,  27  per  cent. 


1000 


PBOTCSTANT    CCliCOPAL 

J I 


4000 


3000 


2000 


1000 


1900        1906        1906        1909        191?         1915       1918    1920  1921 

Sprrf^ficlJ  Social  and  ReliqiQuJ  Survey  |932 


The  Sunday-school  Enrollment  in  Percentage 
of  Church  Membership 

A  study  of  the  Sunday-school  enrollment  of  each  denomination,  in  per  cent  of 
church  membership  over  the  period  of  twenty-three  years,  shows  the  Episcopal 
Sunday-schools  increased  in  the  ratio  of  Sunday-school  enrollment  to  church  mem- 
bership over  the  whole  period,  although  they  showed  a  decline  in  1921.  The 
Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday-schools  show  no  net  movement,  if  we  consider  the 
first  and  last  years  of  our  twenty-three-year  period,  the  ratio  at  each  time  being 
99  per  cent,  although  from  1912  to  1920  the  ratio  was  100  per  cent  or  higher.  The 
Baptist  and  Congregational  denominations  are  responsible,  therefore,  for  the  poor 
Sunday-school  showing,  relative  to  church  membership,  made  by  the  four  denomina- 
tions combined  during  the  last  eight  years.  The  Baptist  slump  is  the  most  pro- 
nounced. Starting  with  an  equal  enrollment  in  the  two  activities  in  1900,  the  ratio 
changed  back  and  forth  until   1909,   when   it  reached   104.     Since   that   time,   there 

16 


has  been  a  continuous  decline,  which  left  the  denomination  with  a  ratio  of  70  per  cent 
in  1921.  The  Congregational  line  runs  downward  from  1915,  where  it  stood  at 
88  per  cent,  reaching  66  per  cent  in  1920,  and  rising  to  71  per  cent  in  1921. 

RATIO:  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  ENROLLMENT  TO  CHURCH  MEMBERSHIP 
Period  4  Major 

1899-1901    88% 

1902-1904    84% 

1905-1907    79% 

1908-1910    84% 

1911-1913    85% 

1914-1916    88% 

1917-1919    81% 

1920   75% 

1921    11% 

It  is  noteworthy  that  the  ratio 
of  the  total  Sunday-school  enroll- 
ment to  the  total  church  member- 
ship of  the  city,  a  ratio  of  62  per 
cent,  is  much  lower  than  the  ratio 
for  the  four  major  denominations, 
which  is  7Z  per  cent. 


Baptist 

Congregational 

Episcopal 

M.  E. 

99% 

91% 

39% 

99% 

101% 

78% 

fz% 

105% 

92% 

76% 

100% 

104% 

n% 

50% 

99% 

99% 

7S% 

44% 

117% 

91% 

88% 

45% 

110% 

79% 

78% 

44% 

110% 

80% 

66% 

49% 

100% 

70% 

71% 

42% 

99% 

SUNCW- SCHOOL     ENROLLMENT    IN 
PER  CENT  OF  CHURCH  MEMBERSHIP 


Jprmjfitld  Jocill  anJ   Btlijrcin    5urvfy  19?? 


I9IS     1920  1921    ° 


Sunday-school  Enrollment 

The  forty  -  two  Protestant 
churches  rejjorted  a  total  Sunday- 
school  enrollment  of  11,570;  this 
includes  859  in  home  departments 
and  988  on  the  cradle  rolls.  Of 
the  nearly  9,800  in  the  attending 
departments,  about  7.100  are  vmder 
21.  The  schools  range  in  enroll- 
ment of  the  attending  departments,  from  ten  (A.  ]\I.  E.  Zion)  to  785  (Wesley 
M.  E.).  The  most  renresentative  school  is  one  which  has  an  enrollment  between 
100  and  200. 

The  enrollment  is  as  follows : 

Under  100  enrollment  —     8  schools 
100-200  "  —  18        " 

200-300  "  —    6        " 

300-400  "  —    3 

400-500  "  —    3        " 

Over  600  "  —    4         " 

42 

Of  the  eight  schools  with  an  enrollment  of  less  than  100,  seven  are  of  racial 
or  nationalistic  churches;  the  eighth  is  the  Church  of  the  Unity  school. 

All  ten  schools  with  an  enrollrrjent  of  over  300  are  schools  of  the  four  major 
denominations  and  do  not  represent  racial  or  nationalistic  groups. 

Enrollment  in  Ratio  to  Constituency 

The  Sunday-school  enrollment  of  those  under  twenty-one  has  been  studied  by 
age-groups  and  compared  with  the  estimated  Protestant  constituency  by  age-groups. 
It  was  not  possible  to  secure  this  detailed  information  for  the  minor  groups  nor 
for  one  of  the  smaller  regular  Sunday-schools;  however,  these  additional  figures 
are  not  large  enough  to  affect  materially  the  results.  As  the  Census  groupings  are 
for  1920  and  the  Sunday-school  figures  for  1921  or  1921-22,  the  jicrcentages  given 
are    favorable    rather   than    otherwise. 

According  to  the  census  figures,  35  ])cr  cent  of  the  population  of  .Springfield 
are  boys  and  girls  and  young  people  under  twenty-one.  It  is  estimated  that  20,000 
are  Protestants,  i.e.,  are  Protestant  by  tradition  or  by  ])referencc.  Of  this  group, 
36  per  cent  are  enrolled  in  the  Protestant  Sunday-schools  of  the  city. 

17 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL  CNROLLMCMT  IN  PER 
CENT  OF  PROTESTANT  CONSTITUENCY 


The  Sunday-school  reports  for  the  four  major  denominations,  the  Baptist, 
Congregational,  Methodist  Episcopal  and  Protestant  Episcopal,  over  a  period  of 
twenty-three  years  show  that  the  membership  of  Sunday-schools  increased  at  ap- 
proximately the  same  rate  as  church  membership  up  to  about  1915,  when  Sunday- 
school  membership  began  to  decrease.  The  total  of  Sunday-school  enrollment  for 
these  four  major  denominations  in  1899-1901  was  8,000.  The  total  enrollment  for 
1921  was  11,000,  representing  a  net  gain  of  3,000  over  a  period  of  twenty-three 
years.  The  peak  of  Sunday-school  enrollment  was  reached  in  1915,  when  the  total 
enrollment  was  11,400. 

The  current  enrollment  of  forty-one  Protestant  churches  reported  is  7,132  boys 
and  girls  under  twenty-one.     This  enrollment  has  been  reported  by  the  following 

age-groups— 3-5,  6-8,  9-11,  12-14, 
15-17,  and  18-20.  The  Protestant 
constituency  of  these  age-groups 
has  been  estimated  by  a  careful 
correlation  of  the  household  can- 
vass percentages,  and  the  U.  S. 
Census  figures.  There  are  879 
children,  age  3-5,  within  the  Sun- 
day-school ;  this  is  27  per  cent  of 
the  Protestant  constituency ;  of  the 
group  6-8,  1,420,  or  49  per  cent, 
of  the  Protestants  are  enrolled ; 
and  of  the  group  9-11,  1,650,  or  59 
per  cent,  of  the  total.  This  age- 
group,  9-11,  has  the  highest  per- 
centage of  any.  It  would  appear 
that  after  eleven  years  of  age,  the 
boys  and  girls  begin  to  drop  out  of 
the  Sunday-school.  Of  the  age- 
group  12-14,  1,447  are  enrolled,  or  56  per  cent  of  the  total.  Of  the  age-group  15-17, 
1,013  are  enrolled,  or  41  per  cent  of  the  total.  Of  the  young  people,  18-20,  658  are 
enrolled,  or  25  per  cent  of  the  total. 

An  analysis  of  the  age-groups  in  the  Sunday-schools  of  the  four  major  denomi- 
nations  shows  that   the   schools   are   made   up   as    follows : 


. 


Ill 

I  S  I  I  s 


5     6-a      9-11      12-14    15-17     16-20     2M 


5prmqfit\i  Socwl  and  ReIrgiou5   Survey  1922 


Baptist  Congregational  Methodist  Episcopal 

Age   Group  Per  Cent.  Per   Cent.  Per   Cent.  Per  Cent. 

3-5    11  9  9  8 

6-14    38  49  45  70 

15-20    18  20  14  12 

Adult    32  22  32  10 

The  Episcopal  churches  have  the  smallest  percentage  of  adults  ( 10  per  cent) 
and  the  highest  of  children,  6  to  14 — (70  per  cent).  The  Congregational  Sunday- 
schools  have  the  largest  proportion  of  young  people  15  to  20 — (20  per  cent). 

About  one-third  of  the  enrollment  of  the  Baptist  and  Methodist  Sunday-schools 
are  adults. 

Sunday-school  Attendance 

The  influence  of  the  Sunday-schools  can  better  be  measured  in  terms  of 
attendance  than  in  terms  of  enrollment;  and  in  such  terms  the  situation  is  still  less 
satisfactory  than  that  already  presented.  For  two  denominations,  the  Baptist  and 
Methodist  Episcopal,  the  survey  is  able  to  show  the  ratio  of  attendance  to  enroll- 
ment over  a  series  of  years.  The  growth  for  Methodist  Sunday-schools  relates 
to  pupils  only,  and  that  for  the  Baptist  Sunday-schools  to  officers  and  teachers  as 
well.  The  striking  feature  is  the  declining  ratio  of  attendance  to  enrollment.  In 
1900,  the  ratio  for  pupils  in  each  denomination  was  about  the  same — 64.  Since  that 
time,  the  ratio  has  declined  to  43,  for  the  pupils  in  Baptist  Sunday-schools,  in  1914- 
1916;  at  which  time  the  statement  of  average  attendance  was  discontinued  from 
the  published  reports.  The  Methodist  ratio  for  pupils  declined  to  a  low  point, 
about  44,  in  1920;  but  increased  slightly  in  1921.  The  same  tendency  is  evident, 
although  in  less  marked  degree,  for  Baptist  officers  and  teachers;  at  the  beginning 

18 


of  the  period,  the  average  attendance  of  officers  and  teachers  in  Baptist  Sunday- 
schools  was  82  per  cent  of  the  enrollment,  while  in  1914-1916  the  ratio  had  declined 
to    61. 

Attendance  vs.  Enrollment 

The  relation  between  attendance  and  enrollment  has  been  reported  by  thirty- 
eight  Protestant  Sunday-schools  from  thirteen  different  denominations  in  the 
attending  departments,  exclusive  of  cradle  roll  and  home  department  during  1921. 
Considered  by  denominational  groupings,  the  highest  percentage  of  attendance  to 
enrollment  is  80,  shown  by  the  A.  M.  E.  Zion  Sunday-school.  The  numbers  involved 
here,  however,  are  so  small  that  the  results  are  largely  without  significance.  There 
are  eight  deiiominations  whose  attendance  percentages  are  closely  grouped,  with 
only  fractional  variation,  ranging  from  74  to  68.  In  their  order,  they  are,  Ad- 
ventists  bodies,  Congregational,  Presbyterian,  Colored  M.  E.,  Universalists,  Episco- 
pal, Lutheran,  Baptist.  Two  other  denominations  are  in  the  lower  sixties — the 
Undenominational  Sunday-schools  and  the  Disciples.  Bringing  up  the  rear  are 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday-schools,  with  a  percentage  of  only  57,  and  the 
Unitarian,  with  a  percentage  of  54.  The  low  standing  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
and  Baptist  denominations  is  largely  due  to  the  fact  that  they  have  large  adult 
departments,  which,  as  will  be  shown,  are  notoriously  irregular  in  attendance. 

SUNDAY-SCHOOL  ATTENDANCE  IN   PERCENT  OF  ENROLLMENT,   1921 

Rank                Sunday-School   (Main  Department)              Enrolled  Per  Cent 

1  Bethany   Baptist    42  83 

2  St.  Peter's  Episcopal  220  81 

3  A.  M.  E.  Zion    10  80 

■     3  Swedish  Baptist    35  80 

4  Evangelical   Congregational    133  78 

4  Second  Universalist  127  78 

5  Emmanuel  Congregational   358  11 

5  St.   Tohn's  Congregational   235  11 

6  Advent   Christian    123  76 

7  First   Baptist    776  75 

7  German  Evang.  Lutheran   80  75 

8  First  Presbyterian    137  72 

8  North  Congregational   160  72 

9  All  Saints'  Episcopal    157  71 

9  Hope  Congregational    635  71 

9  St.  Marks'  Colored  M.  E 42  71 

10  Park   Congregational    146  70 

10  Seventh   Day  Advent    100  70 

10  South  Congregational    151  70 

11  .A.uburndale  Baptist    268  68 

12  Community  165  67 

12  Liberty    M.    E 151  67 

13  Third  Baptist  196  66 

14  Park   Memorial  Baptist    466  65 

14  Swedish  M.  E 11  65 

15  St.   Paul's   Universalist 137  64 

15  Swedish  Evangelical  Lutheran 107  64 

16  Mt.  Calvary  Baptist    95  62 

17  Chase   Memorial   Baptist    168  61 

17  Christ    Episcopal    329  61 

18  Disciples    171  60 

18  Memorial     251  60 

19  Swedish  Congregational   135  59 

20  Wesley  M.  E 783  57 

21  Asbury  M.  E 484  56 

22  Carew  St.  Baptist    225  55 

23  St.  James  M.  E 325  54 

23  Church   of  L'nity   90  54 

Churches  not  included — Faith  and   First  Congregational,   Trinity 
M.  E.  and  Loring  St.  \.  M.  E. 

Age-Groups — Sixteen  Sunday-schools,  representing  six  denominations,  have 
reported   details   as  to   enrollment  and   attendance  by   age-groups.     The   combined 

19 


ratio  for  these  sixteen  Sunday-schools,  all  ages,  was  66,  which  agrees  almost 
exactly  with  that  found  for  the  thirty-eight  Protestant  Sunday-schools  just  before 
mentioned,  and  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  the  sixteen  reporting  age-detail  are  a 
fair  example. 

Considered  by  specific  age-periods,  the  situation  relative  to  attendance  is  essen- 
tially the  same  as  enrollment.  The  age-period  9-11  shows  the  highest  percentage 
of   attendance — 77  per   cent.     The   percentages   are   as    follows : 


Per  Cent  of 

Age-Group 

Attendance 

3-  5 

59.5 

6-  8 

70.9 

9-11 

76.5 

12-14 

75.6 

15-17 

67.8 

18-20 

75.1 

over  20 

48.7 

Officers  and  Teachers 

It  is  surprising  that  the  total  number  of  officers  and  teachers  in  the  Sunday- 
schools  of  these  two  denominations  remained  stationary  over  the  whole  period 
under  consideration,  while  the  number  of  pupils  enrolled  increased.  The  increase 
in  number  of  pupils  in  Baptist  Sunday-schools  was  200;  in  the  Methodist  Sunday- 
schools  it  was  800.  How  could  the  same  number  of  officers  and  teachers  handle 
the  increased  enrollment  ?  The  explanation  is  to  be  found  in  the  facts  as  to  average 
attendance.  The  average  attendance  of  Baptist  pupils  decreased  almost  300,  while 
the  average  attendance  of  Methodist  pupils  increased  only  100.  A  superficial  con- 
sideration led  to  the  conclusion  that  with  the  attendance  declining  or  increasing 
but  slightly,  the  same  staff  of  officers  and  teachers  would  suffice.  On  more  careful 
study,  however,  one  is  led  to  inquire  whether  the  sequence  is  not  the  reverse,  and 
the  stationary  or  declining  attendance  the  result  of  a  failure  of  properly  qualified 
persons  tO'  enlist  as  teachers  in  the  Sunday-schools. 

The  Sunday-school  Staff 

The  Sunday-schools  of  the  city  are  directed  by  approximately  340  officers, 
the  large  majority  of  whom  serve  as  volunteers.  There  are  about  800  teachers, 
all  of  whom  give  their  services.  Thirty-nine  churches  reported  as  to  Teachers' 
Meetings,  Training  Courses,  and  Reference  Libraries.  Of  these,  34  report  regular 
teachers'  meetings  and  five  report  no  teachers'  meetings.  Only  ten  schools  report 
a  training  course  for  teachers.  Twelve  report  a  reference  library  for  the  Sunday- 
school.     Ele.ven  schools  report  a  special  Sunday-school  board. 


V 
THE    DENOMINATIONS 

Denominational  Foundings 

The    forty-two    Protestant   churches    studied    represent    sixteen    denominations. 

The  Congregationalists  were  first  to  establish  a  church  (1637).  Nearly  two 
centuries  later,  three  other  denominations  were  founded — the  Baptists  (1811),  the 
Methodists  (1815)  and  Episcopal  (1817).  These  became,  with  the  Congregational, 
the  four  leading  denominations  of  the  city,  constituting,  in  1921,  83  per  cent  of 
Springfield's  total  church  membership. 

The  fifth  denomination,  and  the  fifth  church,  was  established  in  1819,  when  117 
members  of  the  Old  First  Church  left  to  form  the  Church  of  the  Unity.  No  other 
Unitarian  Church  has  been  organized.  This  church,  probably  the  most  beautiful  in 
the  city,  has  a  membership  of  about  400  and  a  constituency  perhaps  twice  the  size 
of  its  membership. 

20 


The  Universalists  also  organized,  about  this  time  (1827),  St.  Paul's  Church. 
The  Second  Universalist  Church  was  organized  in  1898.  and  there  was  a  short- 
lived Third  Universalist  Church.     The  denomination  has  a  total  membership  of  476. 

The  Lutheran  churches,  Swedish  (1891)  and  German  (1889),  represent  two 
Synods. 

The  Advent  Group  also  represents  two  distinct  denominations — Advent  Chris- 
tian  (1878)  and  Seventh  Day  Adventist  (1890). 

The  Church  of  Christ,  Disciples  (1894),  continues  the  only  church  of  its 
denomination,  as  does  Presbyterian   (1896).  ' 

Of  the  two  undenominational  churches.  Union  Memorial  (1865)  has  by  far  the 
largest  membership.     Community  Church   (1919)   has  only  50  members. 

The  three  independent  colored  denominations  are  A.  M.  E.  (1892),  Colored 
M.  E.  (1918)  and  A.  M.  E.  Zion  (1920). 

The  Four  Major  Denominations 

Since  the  four  major  denominations — Congregational,  Baptist,  Methodist  Epis- 
copal and  Protestant  Episcopal — represent  83  per  cent  of  the  Protestant  mem- 
bership of  the  city  and  two-thirds  of  the  churches,  a  more  detailed  statement  is 
given  regarding  them. 

The  Baptists 

Their  History — After  the  founding  of  the  Armory  in  1794,  a  few  persons  with 
Baptist  views  met  occasionally  for  prayer  and  instruction  in  the  Water-Shops 
district;  sometimes  an  itinerant  missionary  came  to  them.  On  May  13,  1811,  these 
men  and  women  organized  into  a  church  with  nineteen  members  In  all.  "Remote 
from  the  center,  without  means,  without  social  status,  in  its  weakness  and  poverty, 
it  struggled  on  for  ten  years  without  a  pastor  or  a  settled  place  of  worship,  holding 
its  meetings  in  private  houses  or  in  schoolhouses  and  occasionally  supplied  with 
preaching."  In  1821  the  first  church  was  built  and  the  first  pastor  was  ordained  in 
1822,  the  church  having  at  that  time  a  membership  of  fifty. 

Baptist  Membership — In  1921-22  the  Baptist  denomination  had  a  membership 
of  3,704  (20.1  per  cent  of  the  membership  of  all  forty-two  regularly  organized 
Protestant  churches  of  the  city)  and  nine  churches,  including  three  Negro  churches 
with  a  combined  membership  of  1,070  (Bethanv — 51;  Mt.  Calvarv — 375;  Third 
—644). 

The  Baptist  membership  in  1900  was  1,985.  and  the  yearbook  reported  3.572 
as  the  total  for  1921,  showing  a  net  increase  of  1,587,  or  an  average  annual  net 
growth  of  69  members.  A  study  of  the  gains  and  losses  in  membership  during  this 
period  shows  total  gains  of  5,025  and  total  losses  of  3,455.  These  gains  and  losses 
were  as   follows : 

GAINS  LOSSES 

Baptist    2228—44.3%  Death    721—20.9% 

Letter    2014—40.1%  Letter  1551—44.9% 

Other    783—15.6%  Revision  of  Rolls 1183— 34.27c 

Church  Finances — The  Baptist  churches  report  a  per  capita  expense  in  1899- 
1901  of  $12.07,  decreasing  to  $11.33  in  the  period  1908-1910  and  increasing  to  $13.47 
in  1920  and  to  $14.35  in  1921.  The  per  capita  benevolence  of  all  the  churches  of 
the  denomination  was  $2.61  in  1899-1900,  decreasing  to  $1.69  in  the  period  1908- 
1910,  and  increasing  to  $3.19  in  1920  and  to  $5.50  in  1921. 

Constituency  and  Membership  by  Survey  Districts — In  the  North  End — survey 
districts  A,  B  and  E — there  are  but  two  Baptist  churches,  Carew  Street,  and  Mount 
Calvary  (Colored),  both  in  District  B.  The  probable  number  of  adult  Baptists 
and  of  members  of  Baptist  churches  in  the  North  End  arc  as  follows: 

Survey  Probalrle  Number  Number   !\[embers  Percent 

District  Adult   Baptists  Pa]itist  Churches  on  Rolls 

A  210  72  34 

B  735  552  75 

E  486  45  9 


Total  in  North  End 1,431  669  47 

21 


In  the  downtown  section,  survey  district  C,  the  probable  number  of  adult 
Baptists  is  819 ;  the  number  on  the  rolls,  720 ;  representing  88  per  cent,  in  the 
churches.     There  is  one  Baptist  church  in  this  district,  the  Third  Baptist  (Colored). 

In  the  Forest  Park  section,  survey  district  D,  the  probable  number  of  adult 
Baptists  is  1,100;  the  number  on  the  rolls,  667;  representing  61  per  cent  in  the 
churches.  There  are  two  Baptist  churches  in  this  district,  Auburndale  and  Park 
Memorial. 

On  the  Hill,  survey  districts  F,  G,  H  and  I.  there  are  four  Baptist  churches: 
three  of  them  in  district  H,  First,  Swedish  and  Bethany  (Colored)  ;  and  one  in 
district  I,  Chase  Memorial.  The  probable  constituency  and  the  membership  are 
as  follows : 

Probable  Number  Number   Baptist  Percent 

District  Adult  Baptists  Members  on  Rolls 

F  316  225  72 

G  175  125  74 

H  1,100  244  22 

I  529  315  60 

2,120  909  43 

It  is  noteworthy  that  district  H  has  a  very  small  per  cent  of  its  probable  con- 
stituency on  the  rolls,  although  there  are  three  churches  of  the  denomination  situ- 
ated here.  However,  the  two  white  churches  both  have  city-wide  parishes,  the 
First  Baptist  drawing  members  from  districts  F  and  I  more  than  from  the  district 
in  which  it  is  located.  The  Colored  Baptist  Church  is  the  smallest  church  of  this 
denomination.  Contrasting  with  this  small  percentage  in  district  H  75  per  cent 
is  reported  in  district  B  and  88  per  cent  in  district  C.  the  two  sections  served  by 
the  two   large  colored  churches. 

The  figures  for  the  outlying  section,  district  J  (Indian  Orchard)  and  district  K, 
are  too  small  to  have  special  significance.  There  are  no  Baptist  churches  in  these 
districts,  though  Community  Church  (district  K),  which  is  undenominational,  is 
Baptist  in  its  sympathies.  In  survey  district  J,  the  probable  number  of  adult  Bap- 
tists is  ten ;  no  members  are  recorded  from  this  part  of  the  city.  In  survey  dis- 
trict K,  the  probable  number  of  adult  Baptists  is  forty-seven ;  the  number  on  the 
rolls,  nine;  representing  19  per  cent  in  the  churches. 

Baptist  Opportunity — For  the  city  as  a  whole,  the  probable  constituency  of  the 
Baptist  denomination — ^ithat  is,  the  probable  number  of  adults  who  class  themselves 
as  Baptists,  either  as  preferring  that  denomination  or  as  members — is  5,600.  The 
number  of  resident  adults  on  the  rolls  of  the  nine  Baptist  churches  is  2,975 ;  so 
that  the  Baptist  churches  are  apparently  reaching  53  per  cent  of  their  adult 
constituency. 


BOOK-KEEPING 


G-AINS 


LOSSES 


(899-1921  1899-1921 

CONGREGATIONAL 


GAIN  &  LOSSES 

IN  MEMBERSHIP,      1899-1921 


CONGREGATIONAL 
LOSSES  70-5% 


BAPTIST 
LOSS  68-8^>^> 


THE  CHURCH  MUST  TAKE   IN  10 
MEMBERS  TO  HOLD  3 


S^RrNCFIELO.  MASS  I92t 


SfRINOFIELP.MASS    till 


22 


The  Congregationalists 

Tlicir  History — The  First  Church  of  Christ  (Congregational)  was  established  in 
1637,  on  its  present  site  on  Court  Square;  and  for  nearly  two  centuries  it  was  the 
only  church  in  the  city.  In  1838,  the  Congregationalists  recognized  the  growing 
community  on  the  Hill  by  the  establishment  in  that  district  of  a  second  church, 
later  called  Olivet.  Today,  there  are  ten  Congregational  churches  in  the  city,  though 
three  churches  have  been  disbanded  during  the  last  twenty  years,  the  Eastern  Ave- 
nue and  the  French,  and  the  Olivet  church  has  amalgamated  with  South. 

Congregational  Membership — The  Congregational  denomination  today  numbers 
6,282  members,  who  represent  34  per  cent  of  the  Protestant  membership  of  the  city. 
The  denominational  yearbooks  show  that  since  1899  the  net  gain  has  been  2,379. 
representing  an  average  net  increase  of  1,032  yearly.  Studying  this  increase  in 
membership,  we  find  that  the  gains  and  losses  during  this  period  were  as  follows : 

GAINS  LOSSES 

By  Confession   45.9%  By  Death 24.8% 

By  Letter 54.1%  By  Letter 43.3% 

Revision   of   Rolls 31.9% 

The  percentage  of  losses  to  gains  is  70.5.  This  includes  the  membership  of  all 
the  Congregational  churches  during  the  period   1899-1921. 

Church  Finances — The  per  capita  expense  for  these  churches  in  the  period 
1899-1901  was  $15.07.  This  had  increased  in  the  period  1908-1910  to  $19.44  and 
in  the  year  1921  to  $23.59.  Contrasting  with  this  increase  of  expenses,  the  report 
shows  the  per  capita  benevolence  to  have  decreased  from  $8.71  in  1899-1901  to 
$2.75  in  1908-10.  The  benevolence  ])er  capita  reached  its  lowest  point,  $2.35.  in 
1914-16;  but  increased  to  $5.92  in  1921.  This  is  the  only  denomination  whose  per 
capita  benevolence  was   lower   at   the   close   of   the   period  than   at   the   beginning. 

Congregational  Constituency — In  the  North  End,  there  are  no  Congregational 
churches  except  the  Swedish  Evangelical  Mission — district  B.  The  probable  con- 
stituency and  membership  are  as  follows  : 

Probable  Number 

Adult  Congregationalist  Per  Cent 

District  Congregationalists  Members  on   Rolls 

A  265  92         35 

B  385  80         21 

E  174         100         57 

824         272         a 

Downtown,  survey  district  C,  the  probable  number  of  adult  Congregationalists 
is  1,203;  the  number  on  the  rolls,  298;  representing  25  per  cent  in  the  churches. 
First  Church  is  located  here. 

In  Forest  Park,  survey  district  D,  the  probable  number  of  adult  Congrega- 
tionalists is  3,860;  the  number  on  the  rolls,  1,736;  representing  45  per  cent  in  the 
churches.  There  are  two  Congregational  churches  in  this  district,  Emmanuel 
and  Faith. 

In  the  Hill  Section,  the  Congregationalists  have  by  far  the  largest  constituency 
of  any  denomination.     The  report  by  the  four  districts  is: 

Probable  Number 

Adult  Congregationalist  Per  Cent 

District  Congregationalists  Members  on   Rolls 

F  1.950  973  50 

G  1,325  362  27 

11  1,375  618  45 

I  1,310  587  45 

5,960        2,540         43 

These  districts  have  five  Congregational  churches:  Park,  in  district  F;  North 
and  South,  in  district  G;  and  Hope  and  St.  John's.  (Negro),  in  district  H. 

The  remaining  Congregational  church  is  Evangelical,  in  district  J.  where  the 
probable  number  of  adult  Congregationalists  is  134;  the  number  on  the  rolls  109; 
representing  81  per  cent  in  the  churches. 

23 


In  survey  district  K,  the  probable  number  of  adult  Congregationalists  is  74; 
the  number  on  the  rolls,  49 ;  representing  66  per  cent  in  the  churches. 

Congregational  Opportunity — The  Congreg-ationalists  lead  in  constituency  for 
the  city  as  a  whole,  the  probable  number  of  adult  Congregationalists  being-  12,055, 
while  the  number  on  the  Springfield  church  rolls  is  5,005.  That  is,  this  denomina- 
tion is  reaching  42  per  cent  of  its  rightful  group. 

Protestant  Episcopal  Churches 

Their  History — The  earliest  Episcopal  services  were  held  in  1817  in  the  Armory 
,  buildings,  and  an  Episcopal  society  was  organized  by  the  four  families  belonging 
to  the  Episcopal  church.  In  1821  a  Rector  was  secured  and  Wardens  and  Vestry 
were  elected. 

In  1838  the  parish  was  incorporated  under  the  name  of  Christ  Church.  After 
holding  services  in  the  town  hall  on  State  Street  for  a  year  and  a  half,  the  new 
church  building  on  State  Street  was  consecrated,  in  1840.  Today  there  are  three 
Episcopal  churches.  Christ  Church,  which  moved  a  block  up  State  to  its  present 
site  on  Chestnut,  and  which  is  the  Cathedral  Church;  St.  Peter's,  in  the  Hill  sec- 
tion, which  was  organized  in  1893  on  King  Street,  and  which  moved  to  its  present 
site  on  Buckingham  Street  in  1907 ;  and  All  Saints',  in  Forest  Park,  established 
in    1907. 

Church  membership  of  the  three  churches  in  1921  was  1,891,  representing 
10.2  per  cent,  of  the  total  Protestant  membership  of  the  city.  This  membership 
shows  an  increase  of  710  since  1900,  an  average  yearly  net  gain  of  30;  a  net  gain 
of  60  per  cent,  of  its  own  membership. 

ChurcJi  Finance — The  per  capita  expense  for  the  Episcopal  churches  in  the 
period  1899-1901  was  $14.39.  rising  to  $28.55  in  the  period  1908-1910,  and  decreasing 
to  $22.45  in  the  year  1921.  These  per  capita  figures  are  based  on  re-distributed 
membership  figures,  because  of  the  revision  of  the  rolls  by  Christ  Church  in  1921,  at 
which  time  nearly  900  members,  representing  an  accumulation  over  the  entire 
period,  were  dropped.  The  benevolence  in  1899-1901  was  $1.66  per  capita,  rising 
to  $5.71  in  1920,  and  dropping  to  $4.48  in  1921.  (These  figures  are  also  based  on 
distributed  membership.) 

Church  Membership  by  Districts — There  are  no  Episcopal  churches  in  the 
North  End,  the  probable  number  of  Episcopalians  and  the  number  of  members  are 
as  follows : 

Probable  Number 

Adult  Episcopal  Per  Cent 

District  Episcopalian  Members  on  Rolls 

A  230         100         43 

B  100  81         81 

E  348  72         21 

678         253         37 

In  the  downtown  section,  survey  district  C,  the  probable  number  of  adult 
Episcopalians  is  469;  the  number  on  the  rolls,  135;  representing  16  per  cent,  in 
the  churches. 

In  Forest  Park,  survey  district  D,  where  All  Saints'  Church  is  located,  the 
probable  number  of  adult  Episcopalians  is  1,060;  the  number  on  the  rolls,  540; 
representing  51  per  cent,  in  the  churches. 

In  the  Hill  section,  the  other  two  churches  are  located — Christ  Church,  just  out 
ot  the  downtown  section,  in  district  G,  and  St.  Peter's,  far  out  on  the  Hill,  in  dis- 
tiict  F.     The  figures  for  the  Hill  section  are  as  follows: 


Probable 

Number 

_  Adult_ 

Episcopal 

Per  Cent 

istrict 

Episcopalian 

Members 

on   Rolls 

F 

498 

230 

46 

G 

230 

150 

65 

H 

555 

204 

34 

I 

469 

180 

39 

1,752  764  43 

24 


In  the  outlying  territor)%  the  numbers  are  too  small  to  have  real  significance : 
they  concern  only  twenty-eight  Episcopal  adherents  in  survey  district  J,  and  thirteen 
in  district  K. 

Episcopal  Opportuniiy — For  the  city  as  a  whole  there  are  probably  4,000  adult 
Episcopalians,  of  whom  1,700,  or  43  per  cent.,  are  on  the  rolls  of  the  three  churches 
in  the  city. 

The  Methodists 

Their  History — As  early  as  1791.  Bishop  Asbury  visited  Springfield,  and  for  a 
period  services  were  held  more  or  less  regularly  and  a  society  was  formed.  The 
society  seemed  to  have  dwindled;  and  in  1815  it  was  reorganized,  becoming,  in 
1819,  a  church.  In  1820.  the  chapel,  since  known  as  Asbury  Chapel,  was  built  at  the 
Water-Shops.  At  that  time,  there  were  fifteen  Methodist  Churches  in  Massa- 
chusetts. The  first  church  was  built  on  Union  Street  in  1823.  Today,  there  are  six 
Methodist  churches  in  Springfield.  There  has  been  one  recent  amalgamation — 
Trinity  and  Grace,  in  1922. 

Methodist  Membership — The  total  membership  was  3,276,  representing  17.8 
per  cent,  of  the  total  Protestant  membership  of  the  city.  The  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  therefore,  is  the  third  largest  denomination.  (These  churches  do  not 
include  the  various  Methodist  Episcopal  Negro  churches,  such  as  the  A.  M.  E., 
A.  M.  E.  Zion  and  Colored  M.  E.) 

Church  Finances — The  per  capita  expense  for  the  Methodist  churches  was 
$7.94  in  1899-1901,  rising  to  $10.12  in  1908-10,  and  to  $15.70  in  the  year  1921.  The 
per  capita  benevolence  for  this  same  period  was  as  follows:  1899-1901,  $2.78; 
1908-1910,  $2.10,  and  in  1921,  $7.99. 

The  Methodists  of  Springfield — In  the  North  End  there  are  two  ^lethodist 
Episcopal  churches — St.  James  (district  A)  and  Liberty  (district  E).  The  probable 
Methodist  constituency  in  the  North  End  is  as  follows : 

Probable  Number 

Adult  :Methodist  Per  Cent 

District  Methodists  Members  on   Rolls 

A  1.115         342         31 

B  505         122         24 

E  950         153  16 


2,570         617         24 

In  the  downtown  section,  survey  district  C,  the  ])robable  number  of  adult 
Methodists  is  619;  the  number  on  the  rolls,  189;  representing  31  per  cent,  in  the 
churches.  Trinity  and  Grace  ]\I.  E.  churches,  which  united  in  1922,  were  both 
downtown  churches;  but  since  the  amalgamation  have  moved  to  Forest  Park — 
survey  district  D — where  the  probable  number  of  adult  Methodists  is  875;  the  num- 
ber on  the  rolls,  410;  representing  47  per  cent,  in  the  churches. 

In  the  hill  section  are  Asbury  and  Wesley  M.  E.  (district  H).  First  Swedish 
M.  E.  (district  F).     The  distribution  of  meml)ershi]i  and  constituency  is  as  follows: 


Probable 

Number 

Adult 

Methodist 

Per  Cent 

strict 

Methodists 

Members 

on   Rolls 

F 

753 

402 

53 

G 

350 

120 

34 

H 

910 

553 

50 

I 

938 

511 

55 

2,951  1,486  53 

In   the   outlying  territory   there    are,    in    survey  district   J,    probably    iS    adult 

Methodists  and  two  church  members.     In  district  K  the  i)robable  number  of  adult 

25 


Methodists  is  42;  the  number  on  the  rolls,   12;   representing  28.5  per  cent,   in  the 
churches. 

Methodist   Opportunity — The   Methodist   constituency   for   the   city   is   probably 
7,150  of  whom  2,720,  or  38  per  cent.,  are  on  the  rolls  of  Springfield  churches. 


N 


RELATIVE    GAINS 

MEMBERSHIP- 
4  MAJOR  DENOMINATIONS 


6250 


3750 


Summary 

Of  these  four  denominations,  the  Baptists  make  the  best  showing  as  to  the  ratio 
of  the   number  of  members   on   the   rolls  of  the   local   churches   and  the   probable 

constituency,  having  53  per  cent,  enrolled. 
The  Methodist  showing  is  the  poorest,  with 
only  38  per  cent.  The  Protestant  Episcopal 
and  the  Congregational  percentages  are  43 
per  cent,  and  42  per  cent,  respectively,  which 
is  a  trifle  higher  than  the  percentage  for  the 
city  as  a  whole,  that  percentage  being  41. 

In  membership,  for  the  period  of  twenty- 
'three  years,  the  Baptists  again  made  the  best 
showing,  having  a  net  increase  of  80  per 
cent.  This  is  partly  due  to  the  establishment 
and  growth  of  new  Negro  Baptist  churches. 
The  other  three  denominations  report  a  net 
gain  of  60  per  cent. 

VI 
SURVEY  DISTRICTS 

I899I90I  I90Z-4  IMS?  190810  I9II-I3  I9K-I6  191719  1920     1921  O  U  Al IVl  A K i Z/ H U 

Springfield's  facilities  of  commercial 
SPRINGFIELD.  MASS.  1922  recrcatiou     include     sixty-three     poolrooms. 

three  bowling-alleys,  fourteen  theatres  (with 
one  exception  either  vaudeville  with  moving- 
pictures,  or  moving-picture  houses),  sixteen  dance  halls  and  a  circus  ground.  In 
addition  the  directory  lists  many  clubs  and  fraternal  organizations. 

The  city  government,  through  its  Park  Commission,  has  twenty-seven  play- 
grounds, twenty-one  of  which  are  adjoining  schools;  six  community  centers,  in 
schools  during  the  winter  months ;  and  two  parks.  Van  Horn  and  Forest  Park,  the 
latter  of  which  has  been  called  the  greatest  playground  of  the  city,  having  tennis 
courts,  ball  grounds,  wading  pools  in  summer,  skating  rinks  in  winter,  a  zoo,  and 
acres  of  woods  and  lawns. 

Organizations  and  Facilities — The  International  College  has  a  gymnasium,  and 
a  field  which  is  used  by  the  young  people  of  the  vicinity;  while'  thci  Springfield 
(Y.  M.  C.  A.)  College  has  a  gymnasium,  a  recreation  field  and  a  swimming  tank 
which  are  in  more  or  less  constant  use  by  the  boys  and  girls  of  the  city.  Many  of 
the  churches  use  the  college  facilities  for  swimming  and  gymnasium  classes  through- 
out the  week ;  and  the  Sunday-School  Athletic  Association  uses  the  gymnasium  for 
its  basketball  games.  The  only  other  swimming  tank  in  the  city  is  in  the  excel- 
lently equipped  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  the  downtown  section.  The  Y.  W.  C.  A.  has 
gymnasium  and  recreational  equipment.  Church  recreation  facilities  include  the 
Olivet  Community  House,  with  moving-pictures  and  a  playground ;  the  St.  John's 
Institutional  activities,  which  include  a  Girls'  Clubhouse,  a  Boys'  Club  and  rooming 
house,  etc. ;  and  other  parish  houses,  which  are  gathering  places  for  the  young 
people  of  the  several  churches. 

There  are,  of  course,  the  usual  Boy  and  Girl  Scout  organizations  and  similar 
groups,  such  as  one  of  Camp  Fire  Girls  and  a  Corps  of  Cadets.  These  are,  with 
few  exceptions,  connected  with  the  churches,  though  they  include  boys  and  girls  of 
all  creeds. 

The  Junior  Achievement  Clubs,  also  organized  very  largely  in  connection  with 
Sunday-school  classes,  are  a  growing  group  of  classes  for  handicraft  for  both  boys 
and  girls. 

26 


There  is  also  a  Y.  M.  H.  A.     The  Springfield  Boys'   Club  is   a  factor  in  the 

recreational  life  of  the  city,  as  is  the  Girl's  Club.     The  membership  of  these  organ- 
izations for  the  whole  city  is  approximately  as  follows : 

Boys  5-19  Girls  5-19 

Boy  Scouts   (12-18) 700  Girl  Scouts   984 

Boys'  Club   (up  to   18) 2,350  Girls'  Club    550 

International  Institute   20  International  Institute   80 

Y.M.C.A.  Boys'  Dept 426  Y.W.C.A.   (under  12) 60 

Y.M.C.A.  Employed  Boys    (18-19)..      2,2,7  Y.W.C.A.    (Girl  Resen'e) 200—260 

Junior  Achievement   ( 10-14) 300  Junior  Achievement   600 

Cadets    100  Camp  Fire  Girls 23 

Y.M.H.A.  (estimate)    200  

2.497 


4,433 
(It  was  very  difficult  to  secure  the  exact  membership  figures  ;  also  the  number  is  changing 
slightly  all  the  time,  new  Scout  troops  are  formed,  old  ones  disband,  etc.) 

There  are  15,047  boys  in  the  city  between  the  ages  5-19,  of  whom  4,433,  or 
29  per  cent.,  belong  to  some  of  the  enumerated  organizations.  There  are  15,333  girls 
between  the  ages  5-19;  and  only  16  per  cent.,  or  2,497,  are  within  these  organizations. 

Study  of  the  recreational  facilities  by  survey  districts,  and  a  comparison  of  the 
social  data  on  juvenile  delinquency  and  poverty  as  indicated  by  the  Union  Relief 
case  and  relief  rates  give  a  fairly  true  measure  of  the  opportunities  of  the  children 
to  develop  into  wholesome,  active  men  and  women. 

Survey  District  A — The  Brightwood  section,  including  the  territory  north  of 
Morgan  and  Ringgold  Streets  and  west  of  Chestnut  Street,  has  a  population  of 
12,845,  9.9  per  cent,  of  the  city's  total  and  10.1  per  cent,  of  Springfield's  children  of 
school  age.  Of  the  adult  population,  41  per  cent,  are  first-generation  Americans, 
largely  Irish.  The  foreign-born  groups  include  French-Canadian,  Irish,  Russian, 
Lithuanian,  Polish,  Syrian,  Greek  and  Hungarian.  The  juvenile  delinquency  of  the 
district  is  8.5  per  cent,  of  that  of  the  entire  city  ;  the  Union  Relief  cases  constitute 
9.2  per  cent,  of  the  total;  and  the  amount  given  for  relief  8.1  per  cent,  of  the  total. 

In  this  district  there  are  four  poolrooms;  one  moving-picture  theatre;  the 
circus  grounds;  three  playgrounds,  two  of  which  adjoin  schools;  and  one  community 
center.  There  is  one  Boy  Scout  troop.  The  Visiting  Nurses  Association  has  a 
branch  here.  This  district  has  a  mobile  population ;  few  here  own  their  homes. 
The  population  is  made  up  largely  of  w'orkers,  many  of  whom  are  employed  in  the 
factories  over  the  line  in  Chicopee.  Twenty-five  of  the  registered  rooming  houses 
of  the  city  are  in  this  section. 

In  District  A  there  is  a  probable  division  of  faith  as  follows:  Protestant  37.2 
per  cent.,  Roman  Catholic  50  per  cent.,  Hebrew  7.5  per  cent.  Other  5  per  cent,  and 
no  preference  0.3  per  cent.  Approximately  27  per  cent,  of  the  Protestants  of  this 
district  are  members  of  Springfield  churches.  These  include  members  from  the 
following  denominations :  Baptist  72,  Congregational  92,  Episcopal  100,  Methodist 
Episcopal  342.  other  denominations  217. 

The  churches  located  in  this  district  are : 

Protcslant 
St.  James  Methodist  Episcopal 

Roman  Catholic 
All   Soul's  Roman  Catholic  St.   Thomas'  Church    (French) 

Siirz'cy  District  B — The  section  north  of  the  tracks,  south  of  Morgan  and 
Ringgold  Streets,  extending  from  the  river  east  to  Van  Horn  Park,  has  a  popula- 
tion of  20.987,  16  per  cent,  of  the  total  population  of  the  city.  Of  this  population, 
35  per  cent,  are  foreign-born  from  Canada,  Ireland,  Greece,  Poland  and  Russia ;  and 
41  per  cent,  are  native-born  of  foreign  or  mixed  parentage.  There  is  but  a  small 
proportion  of  children  of  native-born  Americans,  except  Negroes.  Of  all  children 
of  school  age,  16  per  cent,  are  located  in  district  B.  The  juvenile  delinquencv,  how- 
ever, is  19  per  cent,  of  the  city's  total;  the  Union  Relief  case  rate.  19  per  cent.,  and 
the  relief  25  per  cent.  There  is  a  branch  of  the  Union  Relief  Association  located 
here  and  also  a  center  for  the  Visiting  Nurses.  The  Boys'  Club  and  the  Girls' 
Club  are  also  in  this  section.  The  members  of  the  Boys'  Club  are  largelv  Irish  and 
Jevyish;  but  include  many  nationalities.  The  Girls'  Club  has  members  from  fifteen 
different  nationalities,  including  Polish,   Russan.   Greek,  etc.     There  are  three  Boy 

27 


Scout  troops,  one  Girl  Scout  troop,  the  Y.  M.  H.  A.  and  the  R.  R.  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in 
this  section. 

The  commercial  recreations  include  twenty  poolrooms,  one  bowling-alley,  one 
moving-picture  theatre  and  one  dance  hall.  There  is  one  community  center,  and 
there  are  three  playgrounds,  one  adjoining  a  school.  Two  of  these  playgrounds  are 
among  the  largest  and  the  best  equipped  in  the  city.  As  indicated,  this  district  is 
perhaps  the  poorest  in  Springfield.  It  is  estimated  that  more  than  one-half  the 
city's  adult  crime  is  committed  here.  The  only  white  parish  house  in  this  section, 
whch  belongs  to  Memorial  Church,  is  well  equipped  and  thoroughly  modern.  Un- 
fortunately, this  house  is  not  used  by  the  neighborhood.  Carew  Street  Baptist 
Church,  without  a  parish  house,  is  doing  some  work  among  the  foreign  element  in 
the  neighborhood,  a  Russian  group  meeting  in  the  church  and  a  Russian  missionary 
being  connected  with  the  church.  St.  Mark's  Colored  Methodist  Church  has  a 
rooming  house  with  community  activities. 

In  district  B  there  is  a  probable  division  of  faith  as  follows :  Protestant, 
25  per  cent. ;  Roman  Catholic,  44.8  per  cent. ;  Hebrew,  24  per  cent. ;  other,  5  per 
cent.;  no  preference,  0.9  per  cent.,  and  no  faith,  0.3  per  cent.  Approximately  one- 
third  of  the  Protestants  are  on  the  rolls  of  the  churches  in  the  following  denomina- 
tions: Baptist  552,  Congregational  80,  Episcopal  81,  Methodist  122  and  miscel- 
laneous 220.    The  churches  located  in  this  district  are : 


Jeivish 
Benai  Jacob 

Congregation  Beth  Israel 
Congregation  Sons  of  Israel 
Kesser  Israel 
Tiferes  Israel 


Protestant 
A.M.E.  Zion 
Carew  St.  Baptist 
Mt.  Calvary  Baptist    (c) 
Swedish   Evangelican  Mission 
Memorial 
St.  Mark's  Colored  M.  E.  Roman  Catholic 

Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart 

Our  Lady  of  the  Rosary  (Polish) 

S.S.  Peter  and  St.  Paul   (Syrian) 
and  St.  George  Greek  Orthodox  Church 

District  E,  the  other  survey  district  of  the  North  End,  is  the  outlying  territory 
east  of  Van  Horn  Park,  including  East  Springfield,  and  has  a  population,  largely 
native-born,  of  approximately  8,000,  which  is  6  per  cent,  of  the  total  population  of 
the  city.  Of  the  children  of  school  age,  7  per  cent,  are  in  this  territory,  and  6  per 
cent,  of  the  juvenile  delinquency  occurs  here.  The  Union  Relief  case  reports  are 
2.5  per  cent,  of  the  total ;  and  the  actual  relief  3  per  cent,  of  the  total.  There  is  one 
poolroom  here,  and  one  moving-picture  theatre. 

There  are  four  playgrounds,  three  of  them  adjoining  schools,  and  one  com- 
munity center.  There  is  one  Boy  Scout  troop.  The  new  Liberty  Methodist  Church 
has  a  well-equipped  parish  house  with  gymnasium,  shower  baths,  etc.,  which  is 
becoming  a  community  center.  The  population  is  made  up  of  skilled  workers,  many 
of  whom  are  buying  their  own  homes. 

In  district  E  the  probable  division  of  faith  is  approximately  50  per  cent.  Protes- 
tant and  50  per  cent.  Roman 
Catholic.  About  one-third  of  the 
Protestant  constituency  are  on  the 
church  rolls,  divided  as  follows : 
Baptist  45,  Congregational  100. 
Episcopal  72,  Methodist  153  and 
miscellaneous  148.  There  is  one 
Protestant  church.  The  Liberty 
Methodist  Episcopal,  and  one  Ro- 
man Catholic,  Our  Lady  of  Hone. 
Survey  District  C — This  dis- 
trict, running  from  the  tracks  to 
Mill  River  and  east  as  far  as 
Chestnut  Street,  is  the  downtown 
section  of  the  city.  It  has  a  ]iopu- 
lation  of  17,560,  representing  14 
per  cent,  of  the  total,  with  13  per 
cent,  of  the  children  of  school  age. 
This    district    is    probably    28    per 


Springfield  Social  and  Reliqjoua  5urvey  Q2Z 


Ranking  of  Survey  Districts  by 
Protestant  Constituency 


28 


cent,  foreign-born,  nearly  one-half  of  the  foreign-born  being  Italian;  and  35  per 
cent,  native-born  of  foreign  or  mixed  parentage.  The  south  end  of  this  district  is 
comparable  with  district  B.  Thirty-one  per  cent,  of  the  juvenile  delinquency  occurs 
in  district  C,  by  far  the  highest  rate  of  any  district  in  the  city.  The  Union  Relief 
cases  are  24  per  cent,  of  the  total  and  the  amount  given  for  relief  is  20  per  cent, 
of  the  total. 

It  is  in  this  section  that  the  majority  of  the  commercial  recreations  are  located. 
There  are  twenty-one  poolrooms,  two  bowling-alleys,  eight  theatres  and  nine  dance 
halls.  The  headquarters  of  the  Union  Relief  and  the  Visiting  Nurses  Association 
and  other  agencies  are  located  in  this  district.  There  is  a  branch  of  the  Visiting 
Nurses  Association  in  the  south  end  of  the  district.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  the 
Y.  W.  C.  A.  headquarters  are  in  this  section.  There  are  six  Boy  Scout  troops, 
three  Girl  Scout  troops,  a  troop  of  Cadets  and  a  branch  of  the  Boys'  Club.  There 
are  four  playgrounds;  but  three  of  them  are  small,  adjoining  schools.  The  fourth 
is  a  large,  well-equipped  playground  in  the  south  end  of  the  district.  It  is  open 
the  year  round.  There  are  no  community  centers.  The  Salvation  Army  and  Rescue 
Mission  are  also  in  this  section.  Ninety-eight,  or  55  per  cent.,  of  Springfield's  room- 
ing houses  are  located  in  district  C,  which  indicates  a  very  mobile  population.  In 
this,  the  business  section  of  the  town,  the  business  houses  are  encroaching  more  and 
more  on  the  residential  section. 

In  district  C  there  is  a  probable  division  of  faith  as  follows :  Protestant  40  per 
cent;  Roman  Catholic  56.7  per  cent.;  Hebrew  1.7  per  cent.;  Other  0.5  per  cent.;  no 
preference  1  per  cent. ;  and  no  faith  0.1  per  cent.  Approximately  32  per  cent,  of 
the  Protestants  of  this  district  are  on  the  rolls  of  the  churches  in  the  following  de- 
nominations :  Baptist  720,  Congregational  298,  Episcopal  135,  Methodist  189,  other 
denominations  264.     The  churches  located  in  this  district  are: 


Protestant 

Seventh  Day  Adventist 
Third  Baptist   (c) 
First   Congregational    Church 
Loring  St.  A.M.E.  Church  (c) 


Roman  Catholic 

Our  Lady  of  Mt.  Carmel  (Italian) 
St.  Joseph's    (French) 


Survey  District  D — The  Forest  Park  section  of  town  has  a  population  of  21,000, 
representing  16  per  cent,  of  the  total.  It  also  has  16  per  cent,  of  the  children  of 
school  age ;  but  only  7  per  cent,  of  the  juvenile  delinquency,  and  3  per  cent,  of  the 
Union  Relief  cases.  The  district  is  above  the  average  in  number  of  native-born  of 
native  parentage.  Its  few  foreign-born  are  largely  Canadian,  English,  Irish,  some 
Swedish  and  Russian,  Polish  and  Lithuanians  (Jews). 

There  are  two  poolrooms  in  this  section  and  one  neighborhood  moving  picture 
theatre.  There  are  four  playgrounds,  all  adjoining  schools,  and  one  community 
center.  There  is,  however,  little  need  for  recreational  facilities  here,  as  Forest  Park 
itself  is  in  this  district.  There  are 
five  Girl  Scout  troops  and  six  Boy 
Scout  troops,  and  a  center  for  the 
Visiting  Nurses  Association.  The 
district  is  made  up  almost  entirely 
of  single  houses  or  high-class 
apartment  houses.  Two  of  the 
churches  have  well  -  equipped 
parish  houses ;  and  the  new  Trinity 
Church,  with  its  rather  elaborate 
jiarish  house,  will  be  located  here. 
I'^orest  Park  has  a  probal)le  division 
of  faith  as  follows :  Protestant  60 
per  cent.,  Roman  Catholic  25  per 
cent.,  Hebrew  14.3  per  cent.,  other 
0.2  per  cent.,  and  no  preference  0.5 
per  cent.  Approximately  41  per 
cent,  of  the  Protestants  are  on  the 
rolls  of  the  churches  in  the  follow- 


Sprin^fwM  5of.ll  And  Prlig« 


Ranking  of  Survey  Districts  by 
Enrolled  Membership 


29 


ing   denominations:    Baptist   667,    Congregational 
410,  and  other  denominations  682. 

The  churches  located  in  this  district  are : 


1,736,    Episcopal   540,    Methodist 


Protestant 
Auburndale  Baptist 
Park  Memorial  Baptist 
Emmanuel  Congregational 
Church  of  Christ  Disciples 
All  Saints  Episcopal 
Trinity  M.  E. 
Faith   Congregational 


Roman  Catholic 
Church  of  the  Holy  Name 

Jcivish 
Congregation  Beth   El 
Kadimah 


The  Hill  Section — Of  the  four  survey  districts  on  the  Hill,  F,  G,  H,  and  I,  dis- 
trict F  is  in  the  St.  James  Avenue  section  and  has  a  population  of  8,045,  6  per  cent, 
of  the  city's  total,  and  4  per  cent,  of  the  children  of  school  age.  The  juvenile  delin- 
quency per  cent,  is  one  and  one-half;  the  Union  Relief  case  rate,  1.5  per  cent.;  and 
the  relief  rate,  less  than  one-half  of  one  per  cent.  The  district  population  is  very 
largely  native-born,  and  far  below  the  average  in  native-born  of  foreign  or  mixed 
parentage,  and  in  foreign-born.  Eighty  per  cent,  of  the  district  is  Protestant. 
There  is  one  playground  in  the  district,  adjoining  a  school  building.  There  are  two 
Boy  Scout  troops  and  two  Girl   Scout  troops.     There  is  no  commercial  recreation. 

In  District  F  there  is  a  probable  division  of  faith  as  follows:  Protestant  80  per 
cent,  Roman  Catholic  19  per  cent,  and  Hebrew  1  per  cent.  Approximately  one- 
half  of  the  Protestants  are  on  the  rolls  of  the  churches  in  the  following  denomina- 
tions:  Baptist  225,  Congregational  973,  Episcopal  230,  Methodist  402  and  other 
denominations  511. 

The  churches  located  in  the  district  are : 

Protestant 
Advent   Christian   Church 
Park  Congregational  Church 
St.  Peter's  Episcopal  Church 
First   Swedish   Methodist   Church 
Second  Universalist  Church 

There  are  no  Catholic  or  Hebrew  churches  in  the  district. 


Survey  District  G  is  the  Crescent  Hill  section,  with  a  population  of  6,700,  5  per 
cent,  of  the  city's  total,  and  2  per  cent,  of  the  children  of  school  age.  The  per- 
centage of  juvenile  delinquency  is  less  than  1  per  cent. ;  the  Union  Relief  case  rate 
nearly  3  per  cent. ;  and  the  actual  amount  of  relief,  about  4  per  cent,  of  the  total. 
The  only  commercial  recreation  in  this  district  is  one  small  poolroom.  There  is  one 
playground  adjoining  a  school,  and  there  is  one  community  center.  There  are  four 
Boy  Scout  troops  and  three  Girl  Scout  troops.  The  section  is  one  of  the  older 
sections  of  the  city,  bordering  as  it  does  on  the  edge  of  the  downtown  section;  but  it 
is  probably  the  finest  residential  district  of  the  city. 

In  District  G  there  is  a  probable  division  of  faith  as  follows :  Protestant  61  per 
cent. ;  Roman  Catholic  36  per  cent.;  Hebrew  2  per  cent.,  and  no  preference  0.9  per 
cent.  About  Z7  per  cent,  of  the  Protestants  are  on  the  rolls  of  the  churches  in  the 
following  denominations:  Baptist  125;  Congregational  362;  Episcopal  150;  Metho- 
dist 120;  other  denominations,  280.      The  churches  located  in  the  district  are: 


Roman  Catholic 
St.    Michael's   Cathedral 


Protestant 
South   Congregational   Church 
Christ  Church 

Church  of  the  Unity  i 

St.   Paul's   Universalist   Church 
North  Congregational  Church 

Survey  District  H  is  the  territory  south  of  State  Street  between  Walnut  Street 
and  the  tracks.  It  runs  south  to  the  Mill  River  and  has  a  population  of  14,575, 
representing  11  per  cent,  of  the  city's  total,  with  12.5  per  cent,  of  the  children  of 
school  age,  and  13  per  cent,  of  the  juvenile  delinquency.     The  Union  Relief  case 

30 


rate  is  23  per  cent,  of  the  actual  amount,  and  the  relief  20  per  cent,  of  the  total. 
District  H,  like  districts  B  and  C,  has  a  large  Negro  population  and  quite  a  number 
of  foreign-born  and  native-born  of  foreign  or  mixed  parentage.  There  is  an  Italian 
colony  in  the  district.  There  are  five  playgrounds,  all  adjoining  schools,  and  one 
community  center.  One  of  the  playgrounds  is  used  by  the  St.  John's  Congregational 
Church,  and  one  of  their  workers  has  charge  of  the  work  there.  The  playground, 
however,  belongs  to  the  city  and  is  connected  with  a  school  building.  The  commer- 
cial recreations  of  the  district  include  four  poolrooms,  one  moving-picture  theatre 
and  one  dance  hall.  The  St.  John's  institutional  activities  arc  located  here  and  make 
a  real  community  center  for  the  Negroes  of  the  section.  The  Olivet  Community 
House  is  also  in  the  district,  and  has  an  aggregate  average  attendance  of  41,585 
people,  a  large  part  of  whom  live  in.  the  district.  The  Union  Relief  has  a  branch 
office  here.  The  section  is  made  up  mostly  of  working  people  and  presents,  with  the 
other  two  districts,  B  and  C,  one  of  the  special  problems  for  the  social  agencies  of 
the  city. 

In  District  H  there  is  a  probable  division  of  faith  as  follows :  Protestant  50  per 
cent.;  Roman  Catholic  46  per  cent.;  Hebrew  0.3  per  cent.;  other  2  per  cent.,  and  no 
preference  1  per  cent.  Approximately  39  per  cent,  of  the  Protestants  are  on  the 
rolls  of  the  churches  in  the  following  denominations :  Baptist  244,  Congregational 
618,  Episcopal  204,  Methodist  455,  and  other  denominations  397. 
The  churches  located  in  this  district  are : 

Protestant  Roman  Catholic 

Bethany  Baptist  Church   (c)  Church  of  the  Holy  Family 

First  Baptist  Church 

Swedish  Baptist  Church 

First  Church  of  Christ  Scientist 

Hope  Congregational  Church 

St.  Jolin's   Congregational  Church    (c) 
Asbury  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
German   Evangelical   Lutlieran   Church 

Swedish   Evangelical   Lutheran   Church 
Wesley  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 

Surz'cx  District  I — The  territory  east  of  the  New  England  R.  R.  tracks  and 
Winchester  Square,  has  a  population  of  10,770;  8  per  cent,  of  the  city's  total,  and  8 
per  cent,  of  the  children  of  school  age.  The  section  has  4.5  per  cent,  of  the  juvenile 
delinquency  of  the  city  and  2.3  per  cent,  of  the  Union  Relief  cases,  with  2.7  per  cent, 
of  the  actual  relief.  This  section  is  made  up  largely  of  native-born,  and  includes 
among  its  foreign-born  those  of  English,  Canadian,  Irish,  Scotch  and  Swedish  par- 
entage. It  has  two  playgrounds  and  the  Water-Shops  Swimming  Pool.  The  Inter- 
national College  and  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  College  arc  both  located  here.  Both  of  the 
colleges  are  used  by  the  different  churches  of  the  city;  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  College 
being  especially  popular,  as  it  has  a  well-equipped  gymnasium  and  one  of  the  two 
indoor  swimming  pools  of  the  city.  There  is  one  Boy  Scout  troop  in  the  district. 
The  only  commercial  recreation  is  one  poolroom.  The  population  is  made  up  largely 
of  skilled  workers,  professional  men  and  small  tradesmen.  Many  single  houses  and 
better-class  two-family  houses  are  found  here. 

In  District  I  there  is  a  probable  division  of  faith  as  follows :  Protestant  67  per 
cent.,  Roman  Catholic  31  per  cent.,  Hebrew  0.5  per  cent.,  other  0.2  per  cent,  and  no 
preference  0.6  per  cent.  Forty-seven  per  cent,  of  the  Protestants  are  on  the  rolls 
of  the  churches  in  the  following  denominations:  Baptist  315,  Congregational  587, 
Episcopal  180,  Methodist  511  and  other  denominations  467. 

The  churches  located  in  the  district  are: 

Protcsta)it 
Chase  Memorial  Baptist  Church 
First  Presbyterian  Church 
There  arc  no  Catholic  or  Hebrew  congregations. 

I'^'^l^^ 

Sun'cy  District  J — This  outlying  section  consists  of  Indian  Orchard,  which  is 
practically  a  separate  community,   with  a  population  of  8,095,   representing  6  per 

31 


cent,  of  the  total  and  7.5  per  cent,  of  the  children  of  school  age.  The  juvenile  de- 
linquency is  7  per  cent,  of  the  total ;  and  the  case  rate  of  the  Union  Relief,  6  per 
cent.,  with  the  amount  of  relief  4  per  cent.  The  population  is  very  largely  French 
Canadian  and  Polish.  The  Union  Relief  and  Visiting  Nurses  Association  have 
branches  here.  There  are  three  playgrounds,  one  connected  with  a  school ;  and  the 
commercial  recreation  includes  nine  poolrooms,  one  moving-picture  theatre,  and 
five  dance  halls.  The  district  is  made  up  almost  entirely  of  working  people  who  are 
employed  in  the  mills  and  manufacturing  places  in  Indian  Orchard  and  across  the 
river  in  Ludlow. 

In  District  J,  a  large  majority  of  the  population  is  Catholic.  Of  the  Protestant 
group,  which  is  centered  in  one  section  of  the  district,  about  Z7  per  cent,  are  on  the 
church  rolls  in  the  following  denominatioi\s :  Congregational  109,  Episcopal  3, 
Methodist  2,  and  other  denominations  28. 

The  churches  located  in  this  district  are : 


Protestant 
Evangelical  Congregational  Church 


Roman  Catholic 
Immaculate  Conception   (Polish) 
St.  Aloysius  Church   (French) 
St.  Matthew's  Church 


District  K,  the  outlying  section,  includes  the  almost  rural  section  comprising  the 
southeastern  part  of  the  city.  This  section  has  only  0.5  per  cent,  of  the  population 
and  about  1  per  cent,  of  the  children  of  school  age.  One  per  cent,  of  the  juvenile 
delinquency  occurs  here;  and  the  Union  Relief  case  rate,  as  well  as  the  actual  relief, 
is  around  1  per  cent.  There  is  no  commercial  recreation  here.  The  Five  Mills 
Swimming  Pool  is  in  this  section.  There  are  perhaps  twenty-five  Polish  families,  a 
few  English,  German,  Italian,  Irish,  Scotch  and  Swedish  families.  The  people,  how- 
ever, are  largely  native-born. 

District  K  has  a  probable  division  of  faith  as  follows :  Protestant  67  per  cent., 
Foman  Catholic  27  per  cent.,  other  5.3  per  cent.,  and  no  preference  0.2  per  cent. 
Fifty-five  per  cent,  of  the  Protestants  in  the  district  are  on  the  church  rolls  in  the 
following  denominations:  Baptist  9;  Congregational  49;  Episcopal  12;  Methodist 
12;  other  denominations  47. 

The  Community  Church  is  located  in  the  district  and  Foster  Chapel,  a  mission 
of  Hope  Congregational  Church.     There  are  no  Catholic  or  Hebrew  congregations. 

Summarizing  for  the  city  as  a  whole,  there  are  41,000  adult  Protestants,  of 
whom  26,000  report  themselves  as  church  members.  There  are  only  17,000,  or  41 
per  cent.,  on  the  rolls  of  Springfield  Protestant  churches  and  miscellaneous  groups. 
This  leaves  a  group  of  24,000  adult  Protestants  who  are  outside  the  churches ;  and 
to  this  should  be  added  the  group  of  13,000  boys  and  girls  and  young  people  who 
are  outside  of  the  Sunday-schools,  giving  a  total  of  37,000  men,  women  and  children 
of  Protestant  tradition  who  are  apparently  not  being  reached  by  the  Protestantism 
of  the  city. 


prote:5tant 


prospe:ct5 


Tor  tvERY    100   Members    Enrolled 
There  Are   56  Members    Not  Enrolled 
"     Q  5  Adherents  Not  Mem5ER5 

Spnnqfigid    Social  and  Rgligious    3arvfy    1922 

32 


f 


